Federal ban on ghost guns unlikely, according to law enforcement expert

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Thirty-five years ago, Bilal Qayyum began working to promote peace and prevent gun violence in Philadelphia. At the time, he says gang-related violence was rampant. In response, he established the Father’s Day Rally Committee, an anti-gun and anti-violence group aiming to counter negative perceptions with positive images of Black men.

“During the time when we started the campaign,” said Qayyum, director of the organization. “We realized in our meeting that we all were fathers. And that’s where the name came from.”

On the Saturday before Father’s Day in June 1989, about 300 men gathered at Zion Baptist Church in North Philadelphia to hear local speakers highlight the positive work underway in their communities.

“We were one of the first groups in this city that actually raised the issue around violence in particular as it relates to the Black community,” Qayyum said.

Fast forward to 2024, and while homicides have declined, Qayyum told WHYY News that the proliferation of firearms still threatens public safety.

One relatively recent phenomenon is the appearance of “ghost guns,” firearms built from kits or accessible parts and put together by an individual. Federally licensed gun manufacturers must place a serial number on every firearm, so it can be tracked. Ghost guns don’t have serial numbers. The gun-control group Everytown says, “Ghost guns are the fastest-growing gun safety problem facing our country.”

Last year, Qayyum’s organization partnered with the Philadelphia Police Department for the city’s gun buyback program, aimed at getting firearms off the streets.

“This guy came in and he turned in five ghost guns,” Qayyum said. “This is wild, but the way we do gun buybacks, you turn in the gun, no question asked.”

WHYY News requested data from the Philadelphia Police Department on privately-made weapons from 2020 to Dec. 9, 2024.

Killing puts ghost guns in spotlight

Now, the role of ghost guns is part of the investigation into the murder of UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson.

Police believe University of Pennsylvania graduate Luigi Mangione built the firearm used in the killing to ensure it could not be traced.

One law enforcement expert says some ghost guns are completely manufactured through 3D printing, and others use 3D-printed components with parts that are available from gun kits.

“They combine what is utilized in the 3D printing with the actual parts that are legitimate,” said Randy Sutton, retired lieutenant with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and former patrol officer and detective with the Princeton Police Department in New Jersey.

He said new advancements in artificial intelligence pose new challenges.

“Technology is wonderful. It creates life-saving and life-changing technologies,” Sutton said. “But on the other hand, it also creates opportunities for those who utilize it for nefarious purposes.”

Sutton added that because ghost guns are not regulated, making them go away outright is unrealistic.

“There’s not a chance in the world we’re going to ban these weapons. It’s impossible,” Sutton said. “You can make them illegal to possess. But the techno barn door has already been opened.”

The Biden administration has aimed to treat these firearms like regular weapons, requiring serial numbers on the parts and mandated background checks. Several states’ Attorneys General have filed lawsuits that are now under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Shira Feldman, Director of Constitutional Litigation for the gun violence prevention organization Brady United, calls ghost guns a national threat.

“Ghost guns have become weapons of choice for criminals and their proliferation cannot be ignored,” Feldman said in an email. “We’re hopeful the court will side with the safety of American people, but this ultra-conservative court, with a conservative majority solidified by former President [Donald] Trump, has proven that it has no issue ignoring the safety of the American people in favor of gun lobby rhetoric.”

Gun rights groups are challenging the proposed rules in the Supreme Court, arguing they violate the Second Amendment.

In March, the Pennsylvania House passed a bill to close loopholes in the Uniform Firearms Act and prohibit the purchase, sale and production of the untraceable gun parts used in ghost guns. However, the legislation failed in the state Senate.

“I don’t see any legislation passing against ghost guns in the state of Pennsylvania. At least, not in my lifetime,” Qayyum said.

New Jersey and Delaware are among 15 states that have laws to regulate these weapons.