Nunchucks, umbrella shank, 150 guns among weapons found at Austin airport

That places AUS in the top 10 in the United States at eighth overall, and third in the state of Texas, behind Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (385) and Houston’s George Bush International Airport (298). Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport led the nation with 448 firearms found.

AUS added more this morning, as two guns were found in carry-on luggage at the airport before the 10:30 a.m. media scrum, bringing the number to six in the first three weeks of 2023 alone.

“It’s important for us to educate the public and inform them that they can travel with a firearm,” Patricia Mancha, TSA spokesperson for seven states, including Texas, says. “We don’t want to prevent you from bringing your gun when you travel. We just ask that you follow a few simple steps.”

Travelers should make sure their guns are unloaded, packed in a hard-sided container with a lock, declared with their airlines, and placed in their checked luggage.

Mancha says that in states like Texas, where gun laws are less strict, people are used to leaving their houses with their keys, wallet, and guns, and sometimes they take them to the airport.

“The excuses we hear are unacceptable: ‘I forgot it was my gun,’ or ‘It’s not my gun, it’s my spouse’s,’ or ‘I haven’t used this bag in a long time.’ If you are a responsible gun owner, you should know where your gun is at all times,” she says.

Travelers who arrive at the airport and attempt to bring guns through security in carry-on bags are subject to possible arrest and fines up to $15,000.

Beyond guns and ammo, TSA at AUS found numerous other banned carry-on items like grenades, knives, nunchucks, brass knuckles, a garden hoe, a brick, a small axe, stun guns, and mace.

Most curious of all to those landing in Austin and witnessing the hubbub near baggage in the Barbara Jordan Terminal was a regulation-size bowling pin. A few folks wondered aloud about the illegality of the everyday item, at least on the plane.

“It’s a club,” TSA agent Dale Clay says. “In your carry-on, it can’t go.”

Clay says that the number of banned items increased during the travel season, when more people were flying — and more people were traveling with souvenirs banned in carry-on luggage.

AUS also found many items that look normal, but have concealed blades. The TSA agents on-hand demonstrated how they worked.

One person tried to sneak a credit card through security, only for agents to find that it was a false card that unfolded into a blade. Another was carrying what looked like an ordinary comb, but actually pulled apart to become a knife. There was a lipstick tube that, when twisted, revealed a tiny dagger. Weirdest among them is an umbrella — replete with a convincing-looking cover — that quickly becomes a footlong stabbing device.

“It’s like The Kingsman,” Clay says, referencing the series of spy films in which many everyday items transform into weapons.

Guns, particularly unlicensed or ones with serial numbers scratched off, often end up with Austin Police Department because they can be reviewed in connection with open cases. Items that simply can’t be carried on but aren’t illegal are usually voluntarily surrendered by passengers, or, if they have enough time, can be re-packed in checked baggage. But that’s not normally the case, Mancha says.

Items confiscated by the airport can be sold, the money from which goes right back into the airport. But there is always a load of confiscated items that pile up in back rooms at security.

For this reason, the TSA has some simple advice for travelers passing through Austin or any airport in the United States.

“Know what’s in your bag,” Mancha says. “‘I forgot’ is not a valid excuse.”