San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced on Wednesday that he is suing three California "ghost gun" manufacturers.
In front of the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, Boudin detailed a civil lawsuit filed in California Superior Court against G.S. Performance, Blackhawk Manufacturing Group and MDX Corporation, who he said produce and sell untraceable firearms made from pre-packaged kits.
Today, along with Giffords and Keker, Van Nest & Peters, we announced our groundbreaking civil prosecution against ghost gun manufacturers and retailers. In 2020, nearly half of guns involved in SF homicides were ghost guns. These unregulated, untraceable weapons are ordered online in pre-packaged kits, assembled at home with common tools, and never undergo background checks or registration. As a result, these dangerous, fully functional guns end up in the hands of children and those who are legally prohibited from owning guns. We are holding those responsible for flooding our streets with these deadly guns accountable. Watch our press conference below.
Posted by San Francisco District Attorney's Office on Wednesday, August 18, 2021
The so-called "ghost guns" are fully operational, highly lethal unregistered, unserialized and untraceable firearms. They are purchased online without the protection of criminal background checks and are assembled following tutorials found on YouTube.
Using parts sold by one of the defendants, an inspector from the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office was able to assemble a GLOCK-19 style handgun in approximately 24 minutes.
The suit, filed jointly alongside law firm Keker, Van Nest & Peters and the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, alleges that the manufacturers violated federal and California law by producing and selling firearms without a serial number.
In 2020, 50% of guns in San Francisco were ghost guns.
This week alone, there were four gun-related homicides in a five-day period. "Guns are flooding our streets," said Boudin. "Enough is enough. We must take action."
