Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision today upholding a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) rule regulating ghost guns, which are untraceable weapons often made at home from kits that are sold online.
The ruling comes after Raoul and a coalition of 24 attorneys general filed an amicus brief in Bondi v. VanDerStok in July 2024, asking the court to reverse a decision by an appeals court overturning the ghost gun rule. The coalition argued that the rule is a commonsense clarification of existing law that is necessary to prevent gun violence and help law enforcement to solve serious crimes.
“The decision by the Supreme Court will help us save lives. Untraceable firearms without serial numbers are attractive to individuals who are not legally able to purchase a firearm or pass a background check. These guns fuel criminal activity, destabilize neighborhoods and make it difficult if not impossible for law enforcement to solve crimes,” Raoul said. “Ensuring these guns are regulated as any other firearm will protect communities across the country from violence.”
The ATF issued the final rule to combat the growing problem of ghost guns by clarifying that the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) applied to the key building blocks of ghost guns, including gun kits and partially complete frames and receivers. The GCA is a longstanding federal law that regulates gun ownership and sales in order to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them, including individuals convicted of felonies, domestic violence perpetrators and children.
The ATF’s final rule – upheld today by the Supreme Court – clarified that the definition of “firearms” includes kits and parts that can be easily converted to fully-functional firearms. This commonsense clarification does not ban gun kits, but rather subjects kits and nearly-complete guns to the same rules as conventionally manufactured firearms, including serial number and background check requirements.
Since taking office, Raoul has persistently advocated at the federal and state levels to strengthen regulation of 3D-printed guns and ghost guns and has made it a priority to address gun violence in all of its forms. The Attorney General’s office created a state-of-the-art crime-gun tracing database for Illinois law enforcement called Crime Gun Connect. Raoul’s office also collaborates with local law enforcement to combat gun trafficking. Additionally, the Attorney General’s office works with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to increase awareness of Illinois’ red flag law and to address gaps in Illinois’ firearms licensing system. The office also prosecutes individuals who lie on FOID card applications.
In addition to supporting law enforcement efforts to keep communities safe from gun violence, the Attorney General’s office supports victims’ service providers around Illinois that offer trauma-informed services for crime victims and their families. Raoul’s Violence Prevention and Crime Victim Services Division administers a host of programs and services to assist survivors of violent crime. More information is available on the Attorney General’s website.
Original source can be found here.