Stolen Guns Are Fueling Violent Crime in the US
Permissive laws and reckless firearm owners are making it easier than ever for thieves to get their hands on weapons.
Always at the ready.
Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The federal government produced two notable documents on gun violence last week. The first, a report by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, provided a measure of the mayhem induced by the deregulation of firearms and the removal of strictures on virtually anyone wishing to possess them. The second, a ruling Thursday by the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, was a solemn promise of more chaos to come.
The ATF report, which analyzed the years 2017 to 2021, noted the proliferation of ghost guns, which lack serial numbers and can’t be traced, at crime scenes. Recoveries of ghost guns used in crimes rose by a factor of 10, from fewer than 2,000 in 2017 to almost 20,000 in 2021. The report also registered which semi-automatic pistols are preferred by criminals, with Glock leading the pack.