Summary:
- The Supreme Court has upheld the Biden administration's crackdown on ghost guns, firearms without serial numbers.
- Ghost guns are linked to rising violent crime rates in major cities and have been used in school shootings.
- The Court's decision allows regulations to remain in place, despite legal challenges, and treats ghost guns like other firearms.
- ATF data shows a significant increase in recovered ghost guns, contributing to instances of violent crime.
- Opponents of the regulations argue ATF lacks the authority to change gun laws independently.
- The case's duration remains uncertain, but the White House remains committed to combating gun violence.
A divided Supreme Court today sided with the Biden administration's crackdown on so-called ghost guns or firearms without serial numbers.
CBS's Ed O'Keefe reports on the significance of this ruling as the use of these untraceable guns rises. Police nationwide say ghost guns are a big reason why violent crime has spiked in major cities in recent years and they've been used in school shootings in California, Maryland, and elsewhere. Ghost guns can be bought online. Some made with a 3D printer. And most don't carry serial numbers, making them harder to track. Today, the Supreme Court, with conservative justices John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett joining the three liberals in the majority, allowed the regulations to stay in place while legal challenges continue.
The new rules were first introduced last summer in response to the growing wave of violent crime and seek to treat ghost guns like other firearms. It simply treats them as firearms under the Gun Control Act, where a person has to appear in person, present identification, pass a background check. Thomas Chinum is the former number two at the ATF and helped draft the regulations. Increasingly, what we've seen is that criminals turned to the internet, order these kits from the comfort of their home, assemble them, and have a firearm that is not easily detected by law enforcement. ATF figures show the number of ghost guns recovered more than doubled from 2020 to 2021. These say it's led to violent crime like this incident in New York last month, when a 25-year-old man on a scooter allegedly shot up six locations across the city using a ghost gun. Opponents of the new regulations argue in federal court ATF doesn't have the legal authority to change gun laws on its own.
The case could drag on for years. The White House says it'll continue to use every tool available to stop gun violence in our country. Major? Ed O'Keefe, thank you very much.
The Supreme Court's decision to uphold restrictions on ghost guns has implications for ongoing efforts to curb gun violence and regulate firearm ownership.