Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped 39 handguns at New York City area airport checkpoints in 2022, an increase from the 26 guns caught in 2021. TSA officers discovered each of the firearms during the routine screening of carry-on property at airport security checkpoints.
The biggest jump in the number of firearms was seen at LaGuardia Airport, where TSA officers detected 11 handguns in 2022, up from four caught in 2021. It marked the highest number of guns stopped by TSA at LaGuardia. Westchester County Airport recorded an increase from zero to four guns stopped at the checkpoint from 2021 to 2022. Newark Liberty International Airport recorded a slight increase from 12 to 14 guns. New York Stewart International Airport also saw an uptick from one to three guns caught from 2021 to 2022. John F. Kennedy International Airport was the only airport in the New York City region that noted a decrease in the number of firearms brought to checkpoints in 2022 from nine stopped in 2021 down to seven guns last year.
Nationwide, TSA officers detected 6,542 firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2022. It significantly increased from the 5,972 detected in 2021 and a spike from the 4,432 detected in 2019 (pre-pandemic). Of the guns caught in 2022, approximately 88 percent were loaded. Firearms were caught at 262 airport checkpoints nationwide.
TSA Firearms Catches at New York City Area Airport Checkpoints, 2018 to 2022
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
| Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) | 14 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 |
| LaGuardia Airport (LGA) | 2 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
| John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) | 2 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Westchester County Airport | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| New York Stewart International Airport (SWF) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 20 | 27 | 17 | 26 | 39 |
