HARRISBURG, Pa. — In cities like Harrisburg, police are recovering a growing number of ghost guns.
“We describe them as the IKEA of guns," said Brandon Flood, deputy director of government affairs at CeaseFirePA. "You can purchase these unfinished firearm build kits no different than you can order something from Uber Eats.”
The unregistered, untraceable guns can be made with a 3D printer or with an online kit, then bought and sold, all without a firearms license.
From 2020 to now, Harrisburg police have recovered 51 ghost guns.
“We’ve seen an increase in the guns that are in the city and in the streets," said Lt. Kyle Gautsch of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. "I think that’s just in reference to the amount of popularity they’ve taken on as well, the accessibility and fact people can get them a lot easier than traditional firearms.”
“It’s not illegal to print these because you have a right to bear arms but the unlicensing of it is the danger," added Lamont Jones, who serves as public safety chair on Harrisburg City Council.
City leaders acknowledge there are several ways kids are getting their hands on firearms but say these ghost guns may be the easiest.
“They can purchase these 80 percent gun kits online for about $20," said Jones.
The city council is looking to get ahead of the problem.
No ordinance has been proposed yet, but the council is looking at the possibility of introducing one that would ban the manufacturing purchase and sale of ghost guns by anyone within city limits who doesn't have a federal firearms license.
“They aren’t guns in the sense of what’s defined by law so because of that our localities have some agency to do something about this stuff," said Flood.
Lt. Gautsch wouldn’t say whether he supports this specific ordinance but says he appreciates any city efforts to curb gun violence.
“Obviously not all gun violence is attributed to the ghost guns but they’re not helping the cause at this point. I think the important part is keeping guns out of the hands of people who don’t deserve or shouldn’t have them in the first place," said Lt. Gautsch.
Philadelphia is the only Pennsylvania city to enact an ordinance like this into law, according to CeaseFirePA. It was challenged in court but a judge ultimately upheld the city’s authority to enforce the ban.
York’s city council also introduced a similar law on Tuesday night, which it will vote on in the coming weeks.
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