The New York Police Department (NYPD) has reported a staggering 710% surge in the seizure of untraceable “ghost guns” since 2019, with 389 confiscated as of December 23, 2023.
The rising numbers are a cause for concern for law enforcement, as the weapons, which are made through 3D printing or assembled piecemeal, lack serial numbers and are difficult to trace.
Mark Collins, federal policy director at the gun control advocacy group Brady, said the guns are often tied to crimes.
“They are the perfect gun for crime. If you’re a prohibited person and want to get a gun, and don’t want people to know you have that gun, these are the firearms for you,” Collins explained.
One incident that highlighted the potential dangers associated with such weapons occurred in October, when a near-fatal attack on Staten Island allegedly involved a ghost gun. The attack resulted in the arrest of a 57-year-old convicted felon, Dominick Giordano, who faces charges including attempted murder and felony assault.
In addition, NYPD officers raided an East Harlem daycare in September, where they uncovered 3D-printed ghost guns, an almost-finished assault pistol and related manufacturing equipment.
Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon recently voiced support for legislative efforts to curb the production, sale and use of these weapons.
“We have had some success on Staten Island in tracking and seizing ghost guns, parts, and printers used in manufacturing, but we need more help to do this work even more effectively,” McMahon said.
The New York State Police reported equally alarming statistics across the state, with 706 ghost guns seized in 2023, a significant jump from the 100 seized in 2019.
In addition, investigations into city crimes involving these untraceable firearms are notoriously difficult, prompting the NYPD to use a laboratory in Jamaica for testing.
The lab compares markings on shell casings from crime scenes to identify these weapons, giving investigators leads on a case.
Courtney Nilan, who heads the NYPD’s Field Intelligence Program, noted the severity of the issue.
“We feel that these individuals with guns in their hand can cause the most damage to New York City,” Nilan said.
Nilan also described how deceptive retailers deal in selling parts.
“If you sell guns, you will know by the visual that those parts are gun parts and not something such as wind chimes or something such as a coat hanger holder,” Nilan said.
Efforts to address the surge in ghost guns include new regulations.
In 2019, New York State passed a law requiring serial numbers on all gun parts, and in November 2023, the Supreme Court temporarily restored a 2022 rule mandating the same protocol at the federal level.
However, officials say that federal and state regulations need synchronization to effectively combat the proliferation of these untraceable firearms.
