WESTWOOD—On Wednesday, August 10, Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz and Paul Krekorian introduced a motion to ban ghost guns in Los Angeles.
“Shootings and homicides have surged since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Los Angeles has been no exception. As of July 2021 homicides are up nearly 30 percent over last year and shootings are up 43 percent,” Koretz said in an official statement.”
“Additionally, over 40 percent of guns confiscated by the ATF and a third of crime guns recovered by the LAPD in Los Angeles in 2020 were ghost guns. With such staggering numbers and the sharp increase in hate crimes, we cannot turn a blind eye on a backdoor that allows criminals to gain access to firearms when they would otherwise be denied through the front door.”
Ghost guns can be made at home using legally purchased parts to complete the 80 percent already assembled. They are sold online or at gun shows. The unfinished parts are not legally required to have serial numbers or a background check to purchase them.
If approved, the motion would ban the sale, purchase, possession, and transportation of ghost guns in Los Angeles.
