Key takeaways
- Ghost guns are untraceable firearms built from kits or parts, increasingly recovered at crime scenes.
- Recoveries have surged more than 1,000% since 2017.
- Their accessibility has been linked to high-profile officer deaths and community violence.
- A recent Supreme Court ruling expanded ATF authority, but enforcement gaps remain.
- Police leaders need stronger laws, smarter tech and community partnerships to improve recoveries and reduce risks.
By Commander Rene Garza
Ensuring security for safer communities is a serious concern, and an effective way to address it is by reducing firearm-related crime through proactive community engagement. This includes implementing advanced technologies capable of detecting firearm incidents and identifying individuals carrying illegal weapons. One way to reduce these threats is not to pursue lawfully owned and used firearms but to enact and enforce legislation that regulates the sale and distribution of ghost guns.
What are ghost guns?
Privately made firearms (PMFs), commonly known as ghost guns, are often misunderstood. These firearms are built from scratch using separately acquired parts or assembled from weapons-parts kits, including “buy-build-shoot” kits. [1] Although federal law requires sellers of commercial kits to include a serial number on the firearm or frame/receiver,* individually constructed or reassembled PMFs may not carry a serial number, making them untraceable. This makes them attractive to offenders seeking to avoid identification. While some firearms enthusiasts may legally construct a PMF, public safety demands a preventive approach to illicit weapons to keep communities safer and reduce injury and death.
* The receiver is a part of a firearm that houses the internal action components such as the hammer, firing pin, or extractor, and which “receives” the barrel, stock, and trigger. It is also known as the firearms frame.
In the U.S., ghost-gun-related crimes have risen more than 1,000% since 2017, based on tracing data collected by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — the most comprehensive in two decades. [2] Benjamin Hayes, a former ATF special agent at the National Tracing Center, noted: “We continue to produce so many firearms, and they are just pouring into the public domain. The abundance of these firearms and the myriad of environments in which they reside make it easy for someone with criminal intent to obtain a gun.” [2]
According to the Federation of American Scientists, there are more than 350 million guns in the U.S., plus an unknown number that are unserialized and untraceable. The proliferation of homemade firearms has contributed to the highest rate of firearm-related homicide in 25 years. [3] If data were collected on the sale of ghost gun parts, these transactions could be tracked similarly to legal firearms. The rise in the use of PMFs in crimes provides insight into how many firearms are in communities beyond official counts. [2]
The problem of ghost guns
According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police Firearms Committee, “gun violence” includes suicide by firearm, homicide by firearm, nonfatal shootings and accidental death or wounding by a firearm. Their research shows more than 48,000 firearm fatalities occurred in 2021, the most recent year with complete data. Of these deaths, 54% were suicides, 43% homicides and 3% accidental. These figures exclude nonfatal injuries. The IACP also reported that about 200,000 firearms are stolen every year. [4] These data do not include the number of stolen firearms that are untraceable because they lack serial numbers. PMFs represent a nontrivial share of guns used to commit crimes.
From January 2016 to December 2020, approximately 23,906 ghost guns were reported to ATF as recovered at crime scenes; 325 were connected to homicides or attempted homicides. [5] It is not an overstatement to say that illegal manufacturing of these firearms is a driver of violent crime — if there were no ghost guns, firearm violence statistics would almost certainly be lower. [6]
Several cases underscore the danger. On January 31, 2023, Selma Police Officer Gonzalo Carrasco was killed in the line of duty in Selma, California, by a convicted felon using a .223-caliber PMF in an ambush-style attack. [7]
In a similar incident, California Highway Patrol Officer Andre Moye was fatally shot on August 12, 2019, during a traffic stop by a suspect wielding a ghost gun. The suspect had served 10 years for second-degree murder and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. [6]
Because these firearms lack serial numbers, their origins are often unknowable. The killing of Officer Carrasco is undergoing legal proceedings, and there are many unanswered questions about where the firearm originated. Since it was unregistered and unserialized, we may never know its source. However, these incidents raise important questions, such as how the suspects obtained the ghost guns — and if they had not had access to PMFs, would they have used stolen firearms instead? The shootings of Officers Carrasco and Moye may have been prevented if adequate laws had been in place to regulate or track ghost gun parts, which might have made it more difficult for the suspects to acquire these weapons. The fact that both suspects were prohibited from buying or owning a firearm suggests these guns are easily accessible.
Since 2017, more than 37,000 ghost guns have been recovered, with a 1,083% increase in recoveries from 2017 (1,629 PMFs) to 2021 (19,223 PMFs). [8] According to the Justice Department, 19,000 untraceable weapons were recovered in 2021 alone [9]. These data emphasize that having no strict regulations in place has encouraged the proliferation of ghost guns.
Regulating ghost guns
To reduce violence, legislation on ghost guns must be strengthened. Clarifications associated with federal action in 2022 did not fully regulate or eliminate PMFs at the federal level; primarily, background checks were expanded. [10] Preventive measures — such as firearm detection technology in public spaces — must also be prioritized. Most importantly, police and communities need stronger collaboration to change the status quo on gun violence.
The easy accessibility of ghost guns should have everyone’s attention. The killings of Officers Carrasco and Moye are tragic incidents linked to illicit PMFs. Regulation and tracking of ghost guns could have increased their chances of survival. With stronger laws and proper enforcement, there could be fewer injuries and deaths among officers and civilians, and fewer suicides facilitated by untraceable firearms.
There is a critical need to regulate PMFs more closely. A comprehensive approach includes integrating advanced technology to detect and track ghost gun parts used in PMF assembly, enhancing community engagement for ghost gun awareness and establishing stronger preventive measures. If someone wants to build a privately made firearm, awareness of the laws and regulations would encourage compliance — including registering required parts and ensuring the legally mandated serial number on the frame or receiver. With impactful enforcement and awareness, encounters with ghost guns would be less frequent. This is a first step for police to collaborate with civic leaders to redesign safety and security in all public spaces.
| WATCH: Ghost guns: 5 things to know for law enforcement
How to get there
To reduce the use of illegal PMFs, society needs a proactive mindset. The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld federal regulation on ghost gun kits in a 7–2 decision. [11] The ruling permits ATF to regulate some firearm kits and unfinished frames and receivers, making PMFs easier to track. This is a significant step toward regulating illegal firearms and reaffirms that PMFs are subject to the same requirements as traditional firearms, including background checks and serialization.
Although this is a good ruling and aligns with stricter regulation of ghost guns, more must be done. Community members should advocate for stronger ghost gun laws, and legislatures must support law enforcement with training, tools and resources. Agencies should develop multifaceted approaches with community engagement programs focused on prevention and intervention, including education on PMF laws and broader gun-safety issues.
A look into the future
Firearms will remain part of society — for law enforcement, recreation and home protection. However, the illegal manufacturing of PMFs must be curbed. New legislation creating a national registration of ghost gun parts would improve tracking and enhance public safety. This should be an all-hands-on-deck approach.
In upholding federal rules, the justices acknowledged that the exponential proliferation of ghost guns poses an urgent problem for law enforcement nationwide. [9] Justice Gorsuch wrote: “Efforts to trace ownership of these weapons, the government represents, have proven almost entirely futile” [9]. Regulations like this are a good start, and stronger laws could reduce ghost guns on the streets, which would reduce injury and death. To enforce ghost gun regulations, law enforcement at the local and federal levels — as well as firearm dealers and manufacturers — must be on the same page to reduce the proliferation of ghost guns.
The responsibility to curb the proliferation of ghost guns lies with law enforcement, civic leaders and the public. As Sir Robert Peel, the founder of modern policing, said, “The police are the public, and the public are the police.” This shared responsibility for redesigning safety and security is the key to safer communities and fewer illicit firearms.
Tactical takeaway
Ghost guns are fueling violent crime and officer deaths. Stronger regulation, targeted technology and sustained police–community collaboration are essential to stop their spread.
What’s the most effective way your agency can increase the recovery of ghost guns already circulating in your community? Share below.
References
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. (n.d.). Fact sheet: Privately made firearms (PMFs), ghost guns, and the “frame or receiver” final rule.
- Tabachnick, C. (2023, February 2). Ghost gun use in U.S. crimes has risen more than 1,000% since 2017. CBS News.
- Rippy, M. (2023, June 6). The ghost guns haunting national crime statistics. Federation of American Scientists.
- IACP Firearms Committee. (2024). Firearms security fact sheet. International Association of Chiefs of Police.
- Pereira, I. (2022, March 17). Ghost guns showing up in school shootings, experts fear trend will get worse. ABC News.
- Kiger, P. (2024, March 12). What are ghost guns and why are they so dangerous? HowStuffWorks.
- Garcia, N. (2023, February 3). New details released in the deadly shooting of Selma police officer. ABC30 Fresno Action News.
- Hauck, G. (2023, February 3). What is a ghost gun? A soaring number are being used in crimes, report finds. USA Today.
- Dwyer, D. (2025, March 26). Supreme Court upholds federal regulations on ghost gun kits. ABC News.
- Tucker, E. (2022, December 31). These are the gun control laws passed in 2022. CNN.
- Whitehurst, L. (2025, March 26). Supreme Court upholds Biden rule requiring serial numbers and background checks for ghost guns. AP News.
- Police Federation Magazine. (n.d.).
About the author
Rene Garza is a Commander with the Selma Police Department in Fresno County, California, and has over 25 years of law enforcement experience. His diverse career includes roles as Community Service Officer, Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, General Detective, Narcotics Detective, Sergeant, Acting Chief and Patrol Operations Commander. He currently leads the Support Services Division, overseeing Investigations, School Resource Officers, Communications, Records, Evidence, and Code Enforcement. Commander Garza is also an Active Shooter Instructor, providing critical training to Selma School District staff and serving as an instructor at the College of Sequoia-Tulare/Kings Counties Police Academy.
Commander Garza holds a Bachelor of Science with a major in Criminal Justice Management from Union Institute & University and is a recent graduate of CA POST Command College. Commander Garza is also an Associate Board of Directors Member for the California Police Chiefs’ Association.
This article is based on research conducted as a part of the CA POST Command College. It is a futures study of a particular emerging issue of relevance to law enforcement. Its purpose is not to predict the future; rather, to project a variety of possible scenarios useful for planning and action in anticipation of the emerging landscape facing policing organizations.
The article was created using the futures forecasting process of Command College and its outcomes. Managing the future means influencing it — creating, constraining and adapting to emerging trends and events in a way that optimizes the opportunities and minimizes the threats of relevance to the profession.
