COOK COUNTY, Ill. — Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart wants state lawmakers to crackdown on untraceable “ghost guns.”
Dart argues that the growing number of the “ghost guns” in Chicago must be addressed in Springfield.
The handmade guns are typically purchased as do-it-yourself kits on the internet — which allows buyers to bypass background checks.
In April, the Biden administration announced a federal plan to crack down on the guns, but because federal gun legislation traditionally moves slowly, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said the state must handle the problem on its own.
“We will make it clear that in Illinois, they’re banned,” Dart said. “Ghost guns are no longer something that is an option.”
Chicago police statistics show that just five years ago, in 2016, CPD only confiscated two “ghost guns.”
By 2020, the number grew to 139.
State Sen. Jacqueline Collins introduced legislation to make it a crime to buy or sell “ghost guns” and wants the proposal fast-tracked.
“This bill is very straight forward. It says that guns such as this, that are not traceable, are no longer going to be legal in this state.
On the federal level, President Biden proposed closing the loophole that allows “ghost gun” buyers to avoid background checks.
“The proposed rule would do nothing to address violent crime while further burdening law-abiding gun owners and the lawful firearm industry with overbroad regulations,” the NRA said in a statement.
Gun safety advocate Delphin Cherry, a mother who lost two children to gun violence, said “ghost guns” will only help violent criminals.
“These are not your typical firearms. They are assembled and unregulated kits purchased online or in person with no background check,” Cherry said.
The number of “ghost guns” seized by law enforcement officials in the U.S. has jumped up 400% in the last four years.