Leaving a trace
Shapiro is smart to get out ahead of ‘ghost guns’
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s decision to treat unassembled “ghost guns” as firearms under state law is both common sense and forward-thinking, putting the commonwealth ahead of the curve on a critical public safety issue.
Ghost gun kits, widely available online and at gun shows, are sold in separate pieces that a customer must purchase and then assemble. The largest piece, a plastic frame, is known as an “80% receiver” because it gives a buyer a gun that is almost entirely manufactured. Completing the weapon is not difficult, requiring little more than a hand drill. Some sellers advertise that their gun kits can be pieced together in as little as 15 minutes.
Due to the DIY nature of the weapons, ghost guns lack serial numbers, are virtually untraceable and are largely unregulated. Federal law does not consider the weapons illegal because a person does not need a license to make a weapon for personal use (manufacturing or selling such weapons does require a license).
In Pennsylvania, ghost guns were not regulated under the state Uniform Firearms Act prior to Mr. Shapiro’s decision. This meant that felons, otherwise prohibited from purchasing firearms, could possess a ghost gun. It also meant that ghost gun kit purchases were not subject to mandatory background checks.
State and federal authorities have noted a dramatic uptick in the use and possession of ghost guns. More than 30% of all guns seized in California are ghost guns, according to data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. And these weapons are finding their way into the hands of those who should not be allowed to purchase or possess a gun. Here in Pennsylvania, more than 100 ghost guns have been seized from prohibited buyers in the past year, according to Mr. Shapiro.
The use of ghost guns in crimes has become more prominent, as well. Most notably, the Nov. 14 shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., where two students were killed and three others injured, was committed with a ghost gun.
The threat ghost guns pose to the public is plain, yet few states have moved to crack down on these weapons. Only California, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey have laws on the books to either regulate the sale and possession of ghost guns, or ban them entirely.
Mr. Shapiro is to be applauded for getting Pennsylvania out in front of the issue. But there is still work to be done.
Perhaps most important is for the Legislature to consider how best to regulate ghost guns moving forward. It could be that Mr. Shapiro’s decision to control the weapons through the state Uniform Firearms Act is the best route. But perhaps additional legislation is necessary, given the unique issues and dangers ghost guns present. Could this be an outright ban, like in New York, or could it be stricter rules for selling kit guns and obtaining a serial number, like in California? State lawmakers should debate these questions.
Gun control is one of the most divisive issues in the country, but restricting ghost guns is common sense. Regulating these weapons is good for Pennsylvanians, and it is an action that should be replicated throughout the United States.