Weapons discoveries at airports continued during the holidays

Tactical spike

Weapons discoveries at airports continued during the holidays

The week between the Christmas and New Years' holidays saw over a dozen loaded and unloaded guns, along with a variety of other weapons confiscated at airport checkpoints around the country.

Officers with the Transportation Security Administration (TSOs) found hand grenades, loaded guns, and martial arts weaponry on some passengers making their way through security checkpoints during the holiday week.

A TSA body scanner at Pensacola (FL) International Airport found a non-metallic martial arts weapons called a “Tactical Spike” in the sock of a passenger there.

In a single carry-on bag at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport TSOs found a tree saw with a 13-inch blade, a pocketknife with a 3-inch blade, two throwing knives with 8-inch blades, eleven individual 30-06 rifle rounds, one 12-gauge shotgun slug, five buckshot shells, and five boxes, each containing 25 rounds of 12-gauge shotgun shells.

In two separate incidents at Los Angeles International and San Diego International Airports two sets of three throwing knives were found in carry-on bags, said the agency.

TSA agents at Salt Lake City and Tucson International Airports found a total of three inert grenades in checked baggage. TSA’s blog said the grenades were Christmas gifts.

TSOs also found a varied assortment of other potentially dangerous items in carry-on luggage during the week, including stun guns, a realistic replica firearm, brass knuckles, a butterfly knife, a gravity assist knife, a collapsible baton, ammunition, firearm components, daggers, throwing knives, a brass knuckle knife, a switchblade, a torch lighter containing a spring loaded knife, a butcher knife, a throwing star, and a cat eye.

Agents also found intentionally concealed weapons too. It said TSOs detected a 14-inch cane sword was discovered at Dallas/Fort Worth International, as well as a 3-inch double edged knife was found concealed as a belt buckle at Los Angeles International.

All told, during the week between the Christmas and New Years weekends, TSOs found 10 loaded firearms and three unloaded firearms in carry-on baggage.