Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport authorities found a gun in a passenger’s bag on Tuesday morning during a security check.

Spokesman Reese McCranie said the suspect was taken into custody by the Clayton County Sheriff’s Department after a loaded .45 pistol was found in the passenger’s carry-on bag.

The Sheriff’s Department could not be reached at this time for information on the suspect’s name or the charges he may face. It is also unclear exactly what time the gun was found.

McCranie said these arrests are not unusual.

“Basically, this happens a couple of times a week,” he said. “It just means that the system is working.”

People found with guns in airports are usually arrested and face criminal charges and a civil penalty, TSA spokesman Jon Allen has told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in previous cases.

Hartsfield-Jackson holds the title for most guns found at an airport nationally, largely because it is the world’s busiest airport. Security found 96 guns at checkpoints in 2012 — a new record for the airport, an AJC analysis found.

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com