By Steve Neavling
Sen. Chuck Schumer is urging the ATF to crack down on “ghost guns” amid an alarming increase in seizures of the do-it-yourself firearms.
“Because of the proliferation of ghost guns throughout New York we need the admin to issue this rule as soon as possible,” Schumer said, The Daily News reports. “When it comes to the ghost guns, we want the ATF to deliver an exorcism.”
The firearms, which are sold without background checks, are untraceable and ending up in the hands of killers. In 2006, the ATF stopped considering ghost guns as firearms.
Seizures of ghost guns have sharply increased in New York City, where police confiscated 145 in 2020 and 135 so far this year, compared to 17 in 2018 and 48 in 2019.
Schumer wants the ATF to ensure that ghost guns are subject to federal gun regulations, including background checks. He also said the ATF should mandate that anyone who sells ghost gun parts should register as gun vendors.
