In the span of a year in 2021, the state of California grappled with a significant issue surrounding the proliferation of ghost guns. The discovery of nearly 11,000 such firearms – which are unregistered and consequently untraceable – marked a significant uptick in their occurrence, a seven-fold climb over the short space of two years. This phenomenon was not confined to California; every state in America saw a rise in crimes linked with these weapons. However, the situation was markedly worse in California, which reported the greatest count of recovered ghost guns in the nation.
Between the years 2017 to 2021, an alarming majority of ghost guns recovered across the US belonged to California; the Golden State was responsible for 53% of the more than 37,000 ghost guns discovered during this period. Within a short timeframe, these untraceable weapons transformed from being a seldom-recovered to commonplace, contributing to over 18% of all weaponry found in criminal possession in California in 2021. In comparison, they constituted less than 1% in the year 2016.
This surge in ghost guns was not limited to certain types of crimes. There was a shocking 4,600% increase in these unpredictable weaponry findings at law enforcement officer homicides, coupled with a 1,200% rise in domestic violence-related cases. However, the succeeding years witnessed a downward shift in these trends.
The rapid spread of ghost guns was driven by an expanding industry dealing in almost finished do-it-yourself gun kits. These items introduced two key challenges from a public safety point of view: these kits were not legally regarded as firearms, which meant that they could be sold without licenses, records of sale, or even serial numbers. This loophole facilitated their popularity among people who were otherwise barred from legally acquiring guns.
On completion, these finish-it-yourself kits would transform into what’s known as a ‘ghost gun’, a firearm void of any identifying serial number. This posed a significant roadblock in law enforcement investigations, where serial numbers are imperative to tracing connections to criminal activities.
To address this mounting issue, President Joe Biden took definitive action in 2021 shortly after assuming office. One of his primary approach towards curtailing gun violence included instructing both the ATF and Justice Department to regulate these ghost guns. Consequently, the ATF introduced a new policy where these nearly complete gun kits were officially recognized as firearms, and manufacturers were mandated to assign serial numbers to the weapons’ components.
This new legislation, which took effect in August 2022, introduced the requirement of mandatory background checks on future ghost guns owners. Parallel to this, various states, including California, began enforcing stringent laws around ghost guns as well. Consequently, California saw a decrease in the recovery of ghost guns for the first time in ten years.
By 2023, the number of recovered ghost guns had dipped by over 23% from the disturbing peak of 2021. This decline was notably faster than that of other types of recovered crime weapons. From across the country, other cities were also witnessing a similar shift in trends.
In New York City, for instance, the recovery of ghost guns from crimes scenes experienced a drop for the first time in 2023, decreasing by 8% to 400 from 436 in 2022. As of the current year, the count stands at 382. Similarly, in Philadelphia, recovered ghost guns also fell by 8%, from 575 in 2022 to 526 in 2023. This number has seen a further decline in the current year to 370.
Baltimore, however, saw a more abrupt decline. Recovered ghost guns there dropped by 25% from 516 in the prior year to 347 in 2023. In the ongoing year, the count is currently 264, a further decline of 18.5% when compared with the same time frame in the previous year.
Another factor influencing the proliferation of ghost guns was the ease with which these kits could be assembled. Despite manufacturers’ claims that these kits target hobbyist firearm builders, the assembling process was as simple as constructing store-purchased furniture and could be completed in under half an hour.
It was quickly recognized that it wasn’t the craftsmanship that drew people towards these ghost guns, but rather the absence of background checks and lack of serialization. The revised ruling, however, didn’t prevent legal gun owners from purchasing these kits for home completion. Instead, it introduced the requirement that these almost complete kits had to be serialized and undergo a background check.
Specifically, kits from companies such as Polymer80 were identified as the source of the majority of ghost guns used in criminal activities. According to the ATF and Department of Justice, Polymer80 was linked to more than 88% of the identifiable ghost guns discovered nationwide between 2017 and 2021.
Even though most of these purchases were not intended to be used in illegal activities or trafficking, a general decrease in the availability of these widely accessible ghost guns naturally led to a reduction in the number of untraceable firearms infiltrating the black market. While there exist other kinds of ghost guns, such as less common 3D-printed guns or weapons crafted with the use of tools like the ‘Ghost Gunner’, the new ruling notably affected a majority of these as it primarily targeted nearly complete kits.
The rise of ghost guns significantly contributed to the growth in gun violence during the pandemic, and now it seems to be playing a role in the post-pandemic decline in gun violence as well. However, if the national regulations are overturned by court rulings, ghost guns could possibly reclaim their dominance in the black market. Therefore, the implementation of state laws becomes doubly crucial. As of now, 15 states along with the District of Columbia have enforced laws to regulate ghost guns, demanding serialization of firearm parts, and background checks for their sales.
Exploring the Shocking Surge and Fall of Ghost Guns in the United States appeared first on Real News Now.
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