airports nationwide. that s up 35% from 2019, even as travel remained below pre-pandemic levels. and how many of these firearms are loaded? the vast majority are loaded. about 86% of those firearms are loaded. reporter: chaos at atlanta s hartsfield-jackson after a t.s.a. officer found a loaded gun in a passenger s bag. that passenger then reached in, accidentally discharging it. well, that illustrates why loaded weapons are so dangerous, because it s very easy to discharge. reporter: that airport had the most firearms intercepted 507 detected, up from 323. dallas, houston, phoenix, and nashville round out the top five. tension and stress are already high at airports over flight delays, mask mandates, and covid concerns. phoenix s sky harbor closed two checkpoints this month due to staffing shortages.