Once a week, police find these homemade guns. Federal law just got tougher.
New federal regulations on “ghost guns” have taken effect in Charlotte, meaning guns made with 3-D printers or sold as parts will be more easily traceable by law enforcement, and less likely to make it into the hands of teens.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, the day before the regulations took effect, said they regularly seize ghost guns and often find youth have them.
Ghost guns have no serial numbers and are sold online either as kits to assemble at home or to make with 3-D printers, leaving them untraceable, CMPD Lt. Andy Royston said in a video news release Tuesday.
“It can be built at home with minimal tools required in about 30 minutes to have an operating weapon,” Royston said.
Royston, who is part of the crime gun suppression team, said local police seize ghost guns about once a week.
“One of the issues is these juveniles are getting these guns and they just aren’t mature or responsible enough to possess a firearm,” he said.
Typically after a shooting, CMPD collects shell casings and can use them to identify what gun was used, Royston said. There isn’t a way to do this with a ghost gun. While some casings may match a ghost gun police find, there is no way to trace the owner or manufacturer.
President Joe Biden proposed the rule changes in April, and they took effect on Wednesday. The new rules require ghost guns to be regulated the same as firearms.
The key points include:
▪ Requiring sellers to run background checks on those buying kits
▪ Making serial numbers mandatory for ghost guns
▪ Extending how long federal firearm licensees must retain records, so guns can be more easily traced by law enforcement
Last year, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives seized 19,344 suspected ghost guns, up from 1,758 five years prior.
“This rule will make it harder for criminals and other prohibited persons to obtain untraceable guns, will help ensure that law enforcement officers can retrieve the information they need to solve crimes, and will help reduce the number of untraceable firearms flooding our communities,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland in an April 11 news release.
CMPD says ghost gun owners may need to return the gun to the manufacturer so they can attach a serial number.
This story was originally published August 25, 2022 at 10:49 AM.
