Washington, D.C., March 17, 2021 - Today, Brady applauds Nevada Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui for putting the well being and safety of Nevada residents and law enforcement first and introducing AB 286, a bill banning the sale and transfer of ghost guns. This bill would ban the sale and transfer of these unfinished, unserialized and therefore unregulated firearm components which can be easily assembled to create a fully functioning and deadly firearm. Due to their untraceable nature, these firearms have become a weapon of choice for individuals seeking to skirt existing firearm laws and gun traffickers, and have been used in the murder of several law enforcement officers in neighboring California.Brady President Kris Brown shared:“Common-sense regulations like Brady background checks are the bedrock of our nation’s gun safety laws. Ghost guns undermine every such law on the books, allowing any individual to purchase a kit that they can easily assemble into a fully functioning firearm with no background check, even if they are a subject to a domestic violence restraining order or have a felony conviction. We often say, if you can assemble Ikea furniture, you can assemble a ghost gun. That cannot be the threshold for obtaining a firearm in America, and the people of Nevada have consistently demanded greater protections to prevent gun violence and keep their families safe. This is such a proposal. Brady joins with its partners Battle Born Progress Nevada, the Center for American Progress, Gifford’s Law Center, and Everytown for Gun Safety in gratitude to Assemblywoman Jauregui for introducing and championing this billand urges the Nevada Assembly to pass it without delay.”About AB 286:AB 286 would prohibit an individual from possessing, selling, transferring, or purchasing an unfinished frame or receiver, which can be easily assembled into a ghost gun. The bill would likewise ban the possession of existing ghost guns. This bill includes common-sense carve outs such as an exception for firearms importers or manufacturers and for certain types of firearms including those rendered permanently inoperable, antique, or collector’s items, such as for hobbyists or collectors.About Ghost Guns:Ghost guns are unserialized and untraceable firearms that can be bought online and assembled at home. They are often sold through "ghost gun kits," which include all of the parts and often the equipment necessary to build these weapons at home. These kits are widely available and can be purchased by anyone, including prohibited purchasers, domestic abusers, and gun traffickers — without a background check. As these kits and guns are sold at gun shows and online every day throughout the country, they undermine all of the life-saving policies that state legislatures have fought so hard to put in place.This is a growing concern, as:
The CA Bureau of Firearms seized 512 percent more ghost guns from persons identified through the Armed Prohibited Persons System database in 2019 than in 2018.
In January 2020, the ATF’s Los Angeles Field Division reported that over 40 percent of its cases involved ghost guns.
In just one week in January 2021, 17 percent of firearms recovered by the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC were ghost guns.
In San Francisco, the number of ghost guns seized by local law enforcement jumped 600 percent between 2017 and 2019
In Onondaga County, in New York State the number of ghost guns recovered jumped 188 percent between 2018 and 2019 and in 2020, the county was again on track to break their record for recoveries - halfway through the year, more ghost guns had been recovered than in all of 2019.
About Brady’s Lawsuit McFadyen v. Ghost Gunner Inc.Represented by Brady and Brady Legal Alliance partners Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe, the survivors and the families of the people killed in the 2017 mass shooting in Rancho Tehama, California, recently brought forward McFayden v. GhostGunner Inc., the nation’s first two civil lawsuits by victims of gun violence against the ghost gun industry.Brady alleges in the complaint that the defendants have chosen to engage in a business that utilizes online loopholes that enable prohibited purchasers to acquire weapons without a Brady Background Check or any interaction with a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL). In doing so, Brady alleges that the defendants have chosen to intentionally undermine federal and state gun laws by designing, marketing, and selling ghost gun kits and firearms parts, which resulted in the Rancho Tehama gunman, who was barred from purchasing or possessing a firearm, being able to obtain two AR-15-style ghost guns. During the gunman’s shooting spree in November 2017, he killed five people and injured 18 others at eight separate crime scenes, including an elementary school.
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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