Ghost Guns: A Growing Concern in the United States
What is a Ghost Gun?
A "ghost gun" is a firearm that can be assembled at home from parts bought online, without background checks, and without serial numbers. These guns are often made from unregulated kits, which can be obtained without any documentation or tracing.
History of Ghost Guns
Do-it-yourself kits for assembling ghost guns have been around since the 1990s, but their popularity has increased significantly in recent years, especially among criminals. Between 2016 and 2021, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received approximately 45,000 reports of suspected privately made firearms recovered by law enforcement in criminal investigations, including 692 homicides or attempted homicides.
Rise in Popularity
The number of ghost guns recovered rose steadily each year during that period, from 1,758 in 2016 to 19,344 in 2021. Online videos on how to assemble the guns have millions of views, while some sellers offer 3-D printing files for customers to print and assemble the weapons themselves, without serial numbers.
Challenges in Tracing Ghost Guns
The Justice Department stated in a 2022 fact sheet that unserialized firearms are incredibly difficult to trace. The ATF reported that it was only able to trace 0.98% of the suspected ghost guns submitted by law enforcement to an individual purchaser.
Government Response
In 2022, President Joe Biden announced restrictions on the sale of ghost guns, requiring makers of gun kits to include serial numbers on firearms and for sellers to follow the same standard as with other guns, including requiring a background check for purchase. However, gun rights groups and manufacturers have challenged the ATF rule in court, and a federal judge in Texas and an appeals court have ruled against the Biden administration.
What is Being Done to Address the Issue?
Gun safety advocates, including Everytown for a Gun Safety, have been urging Congress to take action on the issue to close loopholes and turn the rule into a law. Over a dozen states have also passed laws regulating ghost guns, and the group is also urging Congress to take action on 3D-printed guns, which the Trump administration loosened regulations on in 2020.
Conclusion
Ghost guns are a growing concern in the United States, with their popularity increasing among criminals and the difficulty in tracing them making them a significant challenge for law enforcement. While the government has taken some steps to address the issue, more needs to be done to close loopholes and prevent the proliferation of these untraceable firearms.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a ghost gun?
- A ghost gun is a firearm that can be assembled at home from parts bought online, without background checks, and without serial numbers.
- How long have ghost guns been around?
- Do-it-yourself kits for assembling ghost guns have been around since the 1990s, but their popularity has increased significantly in recent years.
- How many ghost guns have been recovered?
- Between 2016 and 2021, the ATF received approximately 45,000 reports of suspected privately made firearms recovered by law enforcement in criminal investigations, including 692 homicides or attempted homicides.
- What is being done to address the issue of ghost guns?
- The government has taken steps to address the issue, including requiring makers of gun kits to include serial numbers on firearms and for sellers to follow the same standard as with other guns, including requiring a background check for purchase.
