‘Ghost Guns’ Fuel Nationwide Rise in Violence
Since January 2016, about 25,000 privately made firearms have been confiscated by local and federal law enforcement agencies nationwide. The proliferation of these weapons is due to a loophole in federal regulations.
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Firearm kit for sale on Internet
Once relying on stolen weapons with sanded-off serial numbers, the criminal underground is now relying on ghost guns, untraceable firearms without serial numbers, assembled from components bought online, as the lethal weapon of easy access for those legally barred from buying or owning guns around the country, reports the New York Times.
In California alone, over the past 18 months, law enforcement officials throughout the state have reported that ghost guns accounted for 25 to 50 percent of firearms recovered at crime scenes and that the majority of suspects using them were legally prohibited from having guns.
Since January 2016, about 25,000 privately made firearms have been confiscated by local and federal law enforcement agencies nationwide.
The proliferation of these weapons is due to a loophole in federal regulation: The parts used to build “privately made firearms” are classified as components, not actual guns, which means that online buyers are not required to undergo background checks or register the weapons.
In response, President Joe Biden has ordered new regulations requiring core components to be engraved with serial numbers, imposing background checks and requiring online purchasers to pick up their orders at federally licensed gun shops. However, those new rules are not expected to be implemented until early next and are likely to be challenged by gun rights advocates.
Facing a surfeit of supplies in circulation on social media platforms or the dark web, law enforcement officials say the extralegal pipeline for parts is sure to adapt and thrive despite any regulations that may be put into effect.
Meanwhile, teenagers have become prime suspects, purchasers, and victims as many snap up homemade guns for protection, or as emblems of toughness, utilizing kits that can be purchased all too easily from online companies that rarely ensure purchasers are of legal age.
Additional Reading: “Ghost Guns Complicate Crackdown on Firearm Violence,” The Crime Report, Nov. 4 2021.
