NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Sen. Majority Leader Charles Schumer sounded the alarm on the proliferation of so-called “ghost” guns in New York.
The guns, which are homemade firearms that are sold in easy-to-assemble kits, don’t have serial numbers and shirk federal regulations and background checks required for typical firearm sales.
“If you sell pieces of the gun separately, no background check is needed,” Schumer said at a Sunday news conference. “That means felons, spousal abusers, those adjudicated mentally ill can get a gun...and the evil gun runners and those who make these things are [finding] a way around the background checks law.”
There has been a surge of ghost guns recovered by the NYPD in New York City, according to data shared by Schumer. There were 17 ghost guns recovered by the NYPD in 2018 — compared to 38 recovered in 2019 and 145 recovered in 2020.
So far police have recovered 135 ghost guns in 2021, according to Schumer.
Schumer pointed to a shooting several days ago involving a ghost gun in Inwood, Manhattan, that left four people injured. He said the guns come with instructions and are simple enough for a “kid” could put them together.
“It’s sort of like Legos— but much, much more dangerous. It’s easy to buy and even easier to put together,” he added.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has crafted a rule that would require background checks to buy individual ghost gun parts. The rule would classify partially complete frames and receivers as firearms and require sellers of parts to be registered as licensed gun dealers.
Schumer urged the Biden administration to finalize and issue the rule as soon as possible. He didn't have an explanation as to why the rule, which does not require any vote to be approved, has not been put into effect.
“We need this rule to happen without delay, ASAP,” he said.