The rise in the usage and recovery of 'ghost guns' in New York City has become an alarming issue for local law enforcement, as evidenced by the recent apprehension of a suspect in the high-profile murder of a health care executive. Luigi Mangione, identified as the person of interest in the case, was found in possession of an unserialized, homemade weapon when arrested in Pennsylvania yesterday, according to USA Today.
Ghost guns—firearms that lack commercial serial numbers and thus remain mostly untraceable—have been increasingly encountered by officers in NYC since 2019. These weapons can be assembled from parts purchased online without background checks, making them accessible to individuals who otherwise may not be legally eligible to possess a firearm. The NYPD is currently comparing ballistic evidence to determine if the weapon recovered is linked to the recent CEO slaying, which occurred outside a midtown hotel, as ABC7NY reported.
ABC7NY shows that the number of ghost guns seized in New York has surged drastically, with a 154% increase observed in just four years—from 150 in 2020 to 382 so far this year. This upward trend highlights the vast challenge ghost guns pose for both law enforcement and community safety alike.
Despite efforts to curb the spread of these unregulated weapons, including a new federal rule proposed by President Biden that would require DIY kit manufacturers to conduct background checks and mark weapons with serial numbers, the Supreme Court's upcoming decision on related regulations leaves the future of these measures uncertain. Meanwhile, gun control advocates point to the inherent danger these firearms represent. "Ghost guns look like a regular gun, shoot like a regular gun, and kill like a regular gun," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, in a sentiment obtained by USA Today.
On the flip side, gun rights organizations continue to argue in favor of the historical precedent allowing individuals to manufacture their own weapons. "Americans have been free to make their own firearms since before this country’s founding," Brandon Combs, president of the Firearms Policy Coalition, highlighted in a statement regarding a court brief filed in Oregon, as detailed by USA Today. The pivotal clash of perspectives continues as the country grapples with balancing Second Amendment rights against growing public safety concerns.
