For Immediate Release:
March 15, 2021
For more information, contact:
Adam Garber, CeaseFire PA Executive Director, (267) 515-1220, adam.garber@ceasefirepa.org
Statement: First Gun Show Ghost Gun Ban Will Slow Flow of Deadly Crime Guns
PHILADELPHIA—Today, Attorney General Shapiro announced Pennsylvania’s largest gun show promoter, Eagle Arms Productions, would no longer allow sale of self-assembled unserialized 80% receivers, often called “ghost gun kits.”
These weapons are just as deadly as fully made firearms, but they avoid many public safety protections. They are untraceable and can be purchased without a background check. They are later quickly assembled at home with a few tools, making them perfect for criminal activities. Nearly 1 in 10 crime guns recovered this year in Philadelphia were ghost guns–a significant increase from 2020.
CeaseFirePA Education Fund’s Executive Director Adam Garber issued the following statement after the announcement.
“Ghost guns destroy lives just like a regular firearm, but are much easier to get because purchasers do not have to meet many legal requirements. It has made them increasingly the gun of choice for violent crimes over the last year as a surge of shootings have torn apart families and made cities war zones.
“Attorney General Shapiro’s historic agreement with Eagle Arms Productions will slow the flow of these weapons into criminal enterprises and violent individuals’ hands. This agreement was set in motion by Rep. Amen Brown, who approached Eagle Arms Productions’ owner about banning ghost gun kit sales at his shows.
“Other gun show promoters shouldn’t wait for a sting to stop the sale of ghost gun kits like the Polymer 80. They should turn off the spigot now. It will not impede citizens to legally buy a firearm, but will save the lives of many Pennsylvanians.
Ultimately, we need the Biden Administration to declare that ghost guns are just as deadly as other firearms and should be treated as such.”
