Mass. Attorney General fighting local rise in ‘ghost guns’

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell says her office launching a big effort to get so-called “ghost guns” off local streets.

She says law enforcement is encountering untraceable weapons more often in their investigations.

“In recent years, the office as well as the Mass State Police have seen an increase in the purchase the possession of these guns and there are numerous investigations, we’re currently undertaking with respect to ghost guns,” Campbell says.

Boston 25 News anchor and investigative reporter Kerry Kavanaugh was invited to a roundtable discussion about the growing concern with Campbell and members of her team. They laid out several weapons they seized in various cases as well as equipment to make them.

Campbell and her investigators say even with Massachusetts’ tough gun laws are seeing a ‘tidal wave’ of ghost guns, something they only started seeing locally in 2019.

Ghost guns are made at home. They don’t have serial numbers and can’t be tracked, and Massachusetts gun law language doesn’t address some of the new concerns making it tough to hold some offenders accountable. They’re bought and sold without background checks.

AG Campbell says her team is working with state lawmakers to update legislation to specifically address ghost guns. Right now, someone can only be charged with unlawful possession of a gun if it is fully functioning and can fire ammunition. Campbell wants to expand the statute to, in part, account for gun pieces and gun-making kits and require serial numbers. It is legal in Massachusetts to build a gun, but you must be licensed to possess it once it’s completed.

“Giving us the tools that we need to actually be able to hold folks civilly and criminally liable for the possession, trafficking, manufacturing of ghost guns,” Campbell said. “To change law and policy and allow us greater tools to take these guns off the street.”

AG Campbell says her office is also putting together a gun violence prevention unit which she believes will be funded in the new state budget once it’s finalized.

Boston 25 News has told you about a massive gun reform bill that’s making its way through the State House right now that does include some of these ghost gun provisions.

The bill already receiving pushback from gun owner groups who says it’s complicating already complicated laws.

AG Campbell says discussions are ongoing with state lawmakers.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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