‘Ghost guns’ are untraceable, easy to make, more prevalent
By LISA MARIE PANE
Associated Press
It’s relatively easy and perfectly legal to make your own firearm. It can cost just a few hundred dollars to get the necessary parts and then just a bit of elbow grease to assemble it.
And it can be done without leaving anything behind for the government to trace.
These “ghost guns” have long been popular among hobbyists or gun enthusiasts. But gun control advocates say they are increasingly popping up in crimes, used by people who are prohibited from buying a firearm and are trying to circumvent a background check.
Authorities say a teenager fatally shot two classmates and wounded three others with a homemade handgun just last week in suburban Los Angeles.
Gun rights activists say they have a constitutional right to make a firearm without the government knowing about it.