Congressman Ritchie Torres to Governor Hochul: Close the Ghost Gun Manufacturing Loophole
On Thursday, Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) wrote to Governor Kathy Hochul. The letter sent reads as follows (full PDF available here):
“The probable use of a 3D-printed ghost gun by Luigi Mangione to assassinate Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare, underscores the need for a complete and comprehensive prohibition of ghost guns in New York.
“Ghost guns have no serial numbers, and the acquisition of ghost guns is subject to no background check. Without serial numbers, there is no enforceable means of tracing the ghost gun back to the manufacturer and the owner. Without background checks, there is no enforceable means of preventing minors, those with serious mental illness, and violent criminals from obtaining firearms. The explosion of ghost guns onto the streets of New York and into the hands of dangerous people has led to an unprecedented crisis in public safety. According to ATF, since 2017, there has been a 1000% surge in the number of ghost guns recovered in crime scenes nationwide. In 2022, the NYPD reports that ghost guns accounted for almost half of the untraceable firearms recovered. From 2020 to 2024, the NYPD has seen a 154% surge in the number of ghost guns recovered. The barriers to using and manufacturing firearms are collapsing in real time, with deadly consequences for New Yorkers.
“State law contains two loopholes that must be closed. First, the law prohibits the possession, sale, and transfer of ghost guns but fails to criminalize the manufacturing of a 3D-printed ghost gun. Second, the law prohibits the manufacturing of assault rifles, high-capacity magazines, and machine guns but the prohibition of gun manufacturing fails to include 3D-printed ghost guns.
“I am respectfully calling upon you as Governor to include in your executive budget proposal legislation that closes the manufacturing loophole in ghost gun laws and closes the ghost gun loophole in gun manufacturing laws. No stone can be left unturned in the New York’s fight against gun violence, which has been compounded by the proliferation of privately made firearms.
“New Yorkers live in an increasingly dangerous world where more and more people are using firearms; more and more are carrying firearms; and more and more are manufacturing firearms in the comfort of their own homes aided by the ease of 3D-printing.
“Anyone anywhere can readily purchase a ghost gun kit and assemble the gun components into fully functional firearms. Anyone anywhere can purchase a 3-D printer for a few hundred dollars online. The technology of 3D-printing can turn every New York home into a gun factory and every New Yorker into a gun manufacturer.
“The Biden Administration has taken action against ghost guns, expanding the meaning of firearms under the Gun Control Act of 1968. But the federal rule prohibiting ghost guns is facing an aggressive legal challenge that has risen to the Supreme Court. The best hope for reining in the proliferation of ghost guns are States like New York. I hope you rise to the occasion and do what is required to keep New Yorkers safe.”