Attorney General Brian Frosh Calls For Tighter Regulations On Ghost Guns

3 years ago 343

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The quadruple shooting successful Germantown past week that near 1 dormant is conscionable 1 of the astir caller examples of the dangers of shade guns–weapons that are ordered online arsenic kits and assembled astatine home. They person nary serial number, and inheritance checks are not required to bargain one.

“We cognize that transgression is going up and we cognize that criminals are choosing these guns,” Attorney General Brian Frosh said.

Frosh is present joining attorneys wide from astir the state successful calling connected the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to finalize regulations that would classify shade guns arsenic firearms.

“I anticipation that the ATF volition instrumentality swift action, volition follow regulations that volition necessitate these guns to beryllium serialized, and necessitate the radical that acquisition them to abide by authorities laws that successful crook necessitate radical to walk a trial that shows they’re qualified to ain a handgun,” Frosh said.

Earlier this year, WJZ anchor Vic Carter sat down with Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison to sermon shade guns successful Baltimore.

“In 2020, that 126 was a large leap from ’19–that’s a 400% increase,” Harrison said. “So it’s a caller phenomenon, starting successful ’19, that we started seeing, that truly jumped to 126.”

Frosh said it’s not conscionable a occupation successful Baltimore but crossed the state arsenic well.

“You tin spot the trend, criminals are figuring retired that these are guns that, fig one, they tin get, and fig two, they can’t beryllium traced backmost to them,” Frosh said.

And helium hopes the regulations they’re calling to the ATF to implement, on with authorities laws, volition assistance alteration that trend.

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You whitethorn beryllium wondering wherefore these kits adjacent exist. There are groups that usage these kits arsenic hobbies. AG Frosh said they don’t privation to marque it amerciable but said the regulations volition marque it truthful these individuals volition person to amusement they are qualified and are legally capable to ain a weapon earlier they tin bargain them.