INDIANAPOLIS — More than 19,000 so-called “ghost guns” were reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives just last year. The Biden Administration is now changing the law to make it easier for police to track the do-it-yourself guns.
13 Investigates reached out to 11 central Indiana law enforcement agencies and learned “ghost guns” don’t appear to be a local problem. Eight out of 11 departments responded to our request for information about the number of “ghost guns” they collected since 2019. The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Brownsburg, Speedway and Zionsville police departments say they have not collected one of these guns in recent years.
The Hamilton and Hendricks sheriff’s offices, as well as state police and IMPD report they need more time to gather their data. IMPD’s Crime Guns Intelligence Center reports “ghost guns” are not yet a problem.
While they may not be an issue in central Indiana, law enforcement across the nation is reporting more of these untraceable guns at crime scenes.
“’Ghost guns’ can be purchased on the internet and assembled at a kitchen table,” said Vice President Kamala Harris. “They can be bought without a background check by people who otherwise would be legally prohibited from gun ownership; domestic abuser, gun traffickers, individuals convicted of violent crimes and even young children.”
Everytown for Gun Safety says “ghost guns” are called that because they cannot be traced. They’re made using a 3D printer or with a do-it-yourself gun kit. The guns are not required to have a serial number.
“All of a sudden, it's not a ghost,” said President Joe Biden. “It has a return address. It's going to help save lives. Reduce crime and get more criminals off the streets."
The new final rule from the Department of Justice would change that. Gun kit manufacturers will have to put a serial number on the product and require businesses to put one on if they resell a privately made firearm they want to sell. Sellers will also have to run a background check before selling a kit.
The DOJ reports law enforcement across the country reported just 1,758 in 2016. The number of reported “ghost guns” has increased since. Reported untraceable guns nearly doubled from 10,109 in 2020 to 19,344 just last year.