NYC Puts 'Ghost Guns' In Sights After Shadowy Weapons Surge

NEW YORK CITY — A surge in so-called "ghost guns" has New York City's leaders spooked.

Sen. Chuck Schumer and Mayor Bill de Blasio in recent days both publicly backed efforts to crack down on the unmarked, untraceable firearms.

De Blasio on Tuesday called them a "scourge." He said NYPD officers recovered 19 such guns in 2017.

This year, they've confiscated 135 so far, he said.

"This is a huge problem," he said. "These are guns that people order from out-of-state. They can assemble them without serial numbers. They're not traceable. It's a huge problem."

A man recently accused of shooting four people outside an Inwood bar used a "ghost gun," authorities said.

Schumer highlighted that case — one of a 700 percent surge in ghost gun cases in the city — as he pushed for new ATF rules on such firearms.

He urged federal officials to clarify that ghost gun kits require a background check and serial number, as well as requiring people who sell those firearms parts to register as licensed gun dealers.

"We need this rule to move fast, without delay, because it will save lives," Schumer said in a statement.

De Blasio said NYPD officers and Manhattan and Bronx prosecutors have ghost gun cases in the pipeline, in addition to an upcoming federal criminal case.