New York Attorney General Letitia James has ordered more than two-dozen gun dealers to stop advertising and selling the illegal unfinished gun parts known as ghost guns.
Her office announced Wednesday that investigators found 28 businesses were advertising or offering to sell pieces of firearms that people could assemble on their own. Buying the parts separately has allowed some people to purchase guns without background checks. It has also made it more difficult for law enforcement to know how many firearms are on the streets.
“Ghost guns are fueling the flames of the gun violence epidemic, and we will not sit idly by as they proliferate in our streets and devastate communities,” James said in a prepared statement.
Two laws recently took effect in New York that make it illegal to sell the so-called ghost guns. Last year, the state Legislature passed the Jose Webster Untraceable Firearms Act, which bars anyone other than a licensed gunsmith from possessing a ghost gun. It also prohibits their sale, and requires gunmakers to put serial numbers on gun parts and register them with the government. Lawmakers also approved the Scott J. Beigel Unfinished Receiver Act, which makes it illegal for anyone other than a licensed gunsmith or dealer to possess or sell an unfinished gun frame or receiver.
“We want to continue solidifying New York’s reputation as having the toughest gun laws in America, because gun violence has not abated,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said when she signed the bills into law last fall. “We cannot say we have laws in place and we’re going to rest on that. We have to keep challenging ourselves to address the problems as they keep arising.”
At least 10 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation to crack down on ghost guns, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The U.S. Department of Justice also updated its definitions earlier this year, clarifying that ghost guns, or parts kits that can be easily made into firearms, are subject to the same regulations as traditional firearms.
Too many lives are being lost because of these untraceable and unregistered weapons that anyone can get their hands on.
Shootings have ticked up in many metropolitan areas since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, including in New York City, while background checks for firearm sales have also surged. However, limited data exists to capture the impact of ghost guns on violence levels, other than seizures and recoveries by law enforcement.
New York Police Department Commissioner Keechant Sewell said last month that officers recovered 153 ghost guns in the first four months of this year – an increase of more than 300% compared to the same period in 2021. Gothamist has previously reported that the NYPD found more ghost guns last year than in any year prior.
New Yorkers who possess or sell a ghost gun can now be charged with a felony. The state attorney general’s office says gun dealers who don’t follow the new rules could face financial penalties or be sent to prison.
“Across the nation, too many lives are being lost because of these untraceable and unregistered weapons that anyone can get their hands on without a background check,” James said. “We are not going to wait for another tragedy.”
