The coronavirus pandemic is keeping many would-be travelers away from the airport this summer, but the Transportation Security Administration on Monday said it found guns in passengers’ carry-on bags at roughly three times the rate of last year.

The TSA screened around 75% fewer passengers last month compared with July 2019, but found guns at three times the rate at the same time last year.

The agency didn’t give a reason for the uptick, but Jeffrey Price, air travel safety expert and a professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, said the increased rate could be driven by higher gun sales in recent months or more efficient screening with fewer passengers.

Firearm background checks totaled 3.6 million in July, up about 80% from a year ago, according to …continued .
[Source: CNBC News]