FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. BACK TO YOU. A SOBERING RECORD FROM THE TSA TRANSPORTATION SECURITY OFFICERS. THEN MORE FIREARMS AT AIRPORTS LAST YEAR THAN EVER BEFORE. NATIONWIDE, TSA DISCOVERED MORE THAN 6500 GUNS ACROSS 262 AIRPORTS. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVENTH CLASS IS LIVE WITH A BREAK DOWN OF THOSE NUMBERS HERE IN NEBRASKA. WHEN YOU SEE A BILL OF THOSE 6500 FIREARMS, JUST 17 WERE DISCOVERED IN NEBRASKA, 15 OF WHICH CAME AT EPPLEY CHADRON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. LINCOLN AIRPORT AND EPPLEY AIRFIELD AMONG THE 262 AIRPORTS ACROSS THE NATION WHERE A FIREARM WAS DISCOVERED LAST YEAR. PEOPLE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE REASON WE DON’T WANT FIREARMS FIREARMS IN THEIR CARRY ON LUGGAGE IS TO SECURE THE ISSUE. 15 GUNS DISCOVERED AT OMAHA EPPLEY AIRFIELD IS DOWN FROM 2021 WHEN 21 FIREARMS WERE DISCOVERED. THE TOTAL IN NEBRASKA ALSO DROPPED FROM 23. IN 2021 TO 17 IN 2022. THE NATIONAL TOTAL, THOUGH, INCREASED BY NEARLY 600. NEBRASKA’S REGIONAL TSA SPOKESPERSON SAYS TRAVELER CARELESSNESS IS NOT A REASON TO HAVE A WEAPON IN YOUR LUGGAGE. AS A RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNER, WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHERE THEIR GUN IS AT ALL TIMES AND NOT THAT THEY SHOW UP AT THE AIRPORT AND CLAIM THEY DIDN’T REALIZE THAT THEY HAD IT WITH THEM. TSA DOESN’T CONFISCATE ANY ITEMS FROM TRAVELERS. MANTUA EXPLAINS THE PROCESS WHEN WE BELIEVE THAT A GUN IS FOUND OR A SCENE IN AN X RAY IMAGE OF WHAT AN OFFICER DOES IS THAT THEY CONTACT THE LOCAL POLICE. IT’S THE LOCAL POLICE WHO THEN ACTUALLY GOES IN THE BAG AND VERIFIES THAT THERE IS A GUN IN THERE. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS CHAIN OF CUSTODY. GUNS LIKE THE ONES SHOWN HERE FROM SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AUSTIN BERGSTROM AIRPORT AND PHOENIX’S SKY HARBOR, ADD TO THE NATIONAL COUNT A NUMBER MANCHESTER SAYS IS FAR TOO HIGH. THAT 6000 TOO MANY. ONE IS TOO MANY. I TALKED TO THE CHIEF OF EPPLEY AIRPORT SECURITY WHO TOLD ME THEY WERE MOST RECENTLY CALL