NEW YORK (AP) — Chicago and three other cities sued the federal government Wednesday to stop the proliferation of what are advertised as easy-to-assemble guns that require no serial numbers or background checks.
The lawsuit in Manhattan federal court asked a judge to stop the government from letting gun parts that can easily be converted to functioning weapons be distributed without restrictions.
The lawsuit was brought against the Justice Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives cities of Chicago; Syracuse, New York; Columbia, South Carolina; and San Jose, California — along with the Everytown for Gun Safety group.
A message seeking comment was sent to the Justice Department. ATF spokesperson Andre R. Miller said the agency doesn't comment on litigation.
The lawsuit alleged that sales of the so-called ghost guns have grown during the pandemic. The weapons that contain no registration numbers that could be used to trace them and require no background checks increasingly have shown up at crime scenes, government officials say.
“It’s simple – individuals with dangerous histories shouldn’t be able to order lethal weapons on the internet with a few quick clicks," Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a release.
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said ghost guns have rapidly become the “weapon of choice for traffickers, abusers, and extremists."
In January, attorneys general in 20 states and the District of Columbia sued the government in Seattle federal court over another form of a ghost gun as they sought to strike down a federal regulation that could allow blueprints for making guns on 3D printers to be posted on the internet.
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Chi ... 516925.phpArmed civilians bring threat of violence to protests in Kenosha, elsewhere
The online call to arms was urgent: "Armed Citizens" were needed to protect Kenosha.
"Law enforcement is outnumbered and our Mayor has failed," a new group calling itself the Kenosha Guard wrote summoning gunmen to confront racial justice protesters in Wisconsin. "Take up arms and lets defend our CITY!"
Thousands of people liked the social media message. And the guns showed up.
Civilians carrying assault rifles and hand guns were visible on the streets in Kenosha throughout the chaotic events Tuesday night and into the next morning that left two people dead and another wounded. This included the alleged shooter - later identified by police as Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, of Antioch, Ill. - who was captured on video running with an assault rifle near a Kenosha gas station at the center of the unrest.
Militia-style groups and their sympathizers have become a regular fixture in the United States this summer, appearing at dozens of events and confronting racial justice protesters. Experts who track militia activity have been warning that the proliferation of powerful weapons in untrained hands during tense protests is a recipe for bloodshed.
...
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Arm ... 517714.php
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
