Last week, the Pennsylvania State House passed HB 777, a ban on certain privately made firearms that are often referred to as “ghost guns” guns. These guns are designed and packaged to be assembled through kits and other individual parts without serial numbers. They are easily assembled with common tools and sold without background checks. Two local District Attorneys urged the State Senate to act quickly to pass this legislation.
Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe states: “Banning unserialized and untraceable ghost guns is common sense. Taking these dangerous weapons off the streets will protect Pennsylvania citizens and police officers from cheap guns that are the new favorite weapon of felons. I echo Gov. Shapiro’s call for the State Senate to pass this legislation quickly.”
Delaware Couty District Attorney Jack Stolsteimer—who is also a current candidate for Pennsylvania Attorney General—states: “This critically important legislation provides law enforcement with a desperately needed tool in the fight against illegal guns. Ghost guns are, first and foremost, lethal weapons—they can kill and maim just as effectively as any other firearm. For too long, the kits to create these weapons have been allowed to circulate without even minimal oversight. Sadly, members of law enforcement are confronted with the consequences of this loophole every day. We are enormously grateful to the leadership in the legislature for taking steps to bring Pennsylvania into line with other states in regulating these firearms.”