Moms Demand Action calling on Md. lawmakers to ban ghost guns

MARYLAND – Following a shooting at a high school in Montgomery County, activists all across Maryland are calling on lawmakers to ban ghost guns. “These ghost guns are really becoming the gun of choice for extremists, gun traffickers, as well as being used at crime scenes. The number has just grown exponentially in the last couple of years,” said Nicole Berger with Moms Demand Action.

Ghost guns are homemade firearms that do not have a serial number. They can be assembled by a kit in under an hour. “It’s a do-it-yourself type of gun that you can purchase online without any kind of background check or vetting,” said Berger. “One of the bill sponsors we’re working with actually ordered a ghost gun online and assembled it herself, just to demonstrate how easy it is to put it together.”

Berger says right now, the Maryland General Assembly is working on a bill that would band ghost guns. But she’s hoping to see swift action, as she says the threat of ghost guns is growing fast. “The fact of the matter is – and this isn’t fear mongering – it’s simply true that these ghost guns are rapidly expanding across the state. If they haven’t become an issue where you are yet, they are bound to be in the very near future,” she said.

The legislation is currently in its draft phase, and has not been assigned a bill number. If the bill is passed, the ban would take effect on June 1st. Possession of firearms without serial numbers would be illegal as of January 1st, 2023.