Nevada Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Applaud Assembly Lawmakers for Advancing Life-Saving Ghost Guns Legislation

The Nevada chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement after the Nevada Assembly passed AB 286, a bill to regulate ghost guns, untraceable, do-it-yourself firearms made from parts available without a background check, and their parts. When it comes to gun violence, the rise of ghost guns is the fastest-growing gun safety problem we’ve seen in years.

“Gun violence has continued to plague our state and communities,” said Wendy Starkweather, a volunteer leader for the Nevada chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We are grateful for the Assembly for prioritizing gun safety once again and working to regulate untraceable, DIY ghost guns. We look forward to this legislation swiftly passing the Senate and heading to Governor Sisolak’s desk.”

Due to pandemic-related panic-buying ghost gun building blocks have been flying off the shelves. In fact, the first few weeks after the pandemic began, more than a dozen online ghost gun sellers reported shipping delays and depleted stock. 

Making a ghost gun takes only a few hours, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has allowed the core building blocks for these guns to be sold online with no background check or serial number. Because of the ATF’s erroneous interpretation of federal law, ghost gun building blocks can be delivered right to the front door of a convicted domestic abuser, gun trafficker, child, or white supremacist without a background check — and are untraceable if later used to commit a crime. In 2019, ATF officials estimated that approximately 10,000 ghost guns were recovered across the country by law enforcement.

Every year, nearly 500 people are shot and killed in Nevada. Gun violence costs the state $3.9 billion each year, of which $164.8 million is paid by taxpayers.

More information about ghost guns is available here. Additional information on gun violence in Nevada is available here, and Everytown’s Gun Law Navigator — which shows how Nevada’s gun laws compare to those of other states — is available here.