Nevada Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Applaud Senate Committee 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 Senate Judiciary Committee passed AB 286, a bill to regulate ghost guns, untraceable, do-it-yourself firearms made from parts available without a background check. 

“There’s no question that having unregulated, untraceable firearms in our communities is dangerous,” said Joshua Schwartz, a volunteer leader for the Nevada chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We are grateful that our legislature is advocating for common-sense solutions to gun violence and prioritizing Nevadans’ safety by advancing this legislation.”

When it comes to gun violence, the rise of ghost guns is the fastest-growing gun safety problem our nation has seen in years. ATF officials recently estimated that approximately 10,000 ghost guns were recovered across the U.S. in 2019.  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. On Friday, President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice, through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), issued a proposed rule to stop the proliferation of deadly, untraceable ghost guns –– a move that Everytown first called for from the Biden Administration in December 2020. 

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