Ghost Guns Have Been a Major Issue in Gun Control

The man held in the killing of a health care executive was arrested on firearms charges and had what investigators believe was a so-called ghost gun, said Joseph Kenny, the chief of detectives for the New York police.

Ghost guns are assembled with parts sold online. A key selling point for many buyers is that they do not bear serial numbers, unlike traditional firearms made by companies and bought from licensed dealers.

Ghost guns are sold as do-it-yourself kits and shipped in parts so that buyers can carry out the final assembly themselves.

They have become popular in recent years, particularly among criminals barred from buying ordinary guns, and have been a major issue in the larger national debate over gun control.

The issue became central to President Biden’s initiative to address illegal guns. Last year, the Supreme Court revived the Biden administration’s 2022 regulation of ghost guns, broadening interpretation of the definition of firearm in the Gun Control Act of 1968.

While the regulation did not ban the sale or possession of parts that can be assembled to make homemade guns, it did require manufacturers and sellers to obtain licenses, mark their products with serial numbers and conduct background checks.