Proposed law would crack down on purchasing, manufacturing of ‘ghost guns’
By MUGO ODIGWE
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CHICAGO (WBBM) -- There is a new push to get "ghost guns" off the streets in Illinois.
Ghost guns can be made at home from kits bought on the internet. They don't have serial numbers, can't be traced, and people can buy them without a background check.
State Rep. Kam Buckner is working on new legislation that would made the transfer, purchase, manufacture and possession of ghost guns illegal.
"We cannot continue to let our city streets be overrun by those guns and those who would be harm to our communities," Illinois Rep. Buckner said.
The leader of the Gun Violence Prevention Pac said tougher laws are needed.
"Gun violence is a public health crisis, and we've seen these numbers soar. And these record-breaking rates could be pushed even farther if we don't make ghost guns illegal," said Kathleen Sances.
The numbers show ghost guns are a growing problem across the United States. Chicago Police say they confiscated 455 of them in 2021; that's more than twice the number reported in New York. More than 40% of guns recovered by ATF officers in California in 2020 were ghost guns.
Under the proposed Illinois law, a first offense would be a misdemeanor and subsequent offenses would be felonies.
On Monday, Buckner will hold a news conference to give more details on the proposed law.
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