Sen. Chuck Schumer demanded Sunday that the Biden administration crack down on “ghost guns” — untraceable firearms that buyers assemble themselves — as seizures of the DIY weapons soar in the Big Apple.
“There is absolutely no doubt about it — ghost guns continue to haunt New York, and pose a serious threat to our public safety,” the state’s senator said at a press conference.
“We’re asking the administration to act: Close the ghost gun loophole as quickly as we can,” he added. “Stop ghost guns from coming into our city, our communities that are killing [people], particularly our kids.”
The Senate majority leader noted that since so-called ghost guns are sold in separate components, no background check is needed to buy them — meaning they could land in the hands of “felons” and “spousal abusers.”
“You can buy a kit that puts all the pieces together,” he explained. “It’s like Legos, but more dangerous.”
The amount of ghost guns seized by the NYPD has soared in recent years.
In 2018, the police department confiscated 17 ghost guns, followed by 48 in 2019, 145 in 2020 and 135 so far this year — representing a 700 increase in confiscations since over the last three years, Schumer said.
“Now there are already 135 and the year isn’t even over,” he warned.
Schumer said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives should follow up and make clear that “partially complete frames and receivers and firearms” are subject to federal gun regulations, including background checks.
In addition, he said the ATF should require people who sell the ghost gun parts and kits register as gun vendors.
Schumer’s call to action comes after the Department of Justice in May proposed a rule that would require retailers to run background checks on buyers before selling some gun kits and manufacturers to add serial numbers to ghost guns.
The lawmaker predicted if the federal government enacts those measures it would “shut down ghost guns.”
“When it comes to the ghost guns, we want the ATF to deliver an exorcism and to get rid of them,” he said.
