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On May 3rd, 2024, the County of San Diego escalated its battle against the rising threat of untraceable “ghost guns” by filing a lawsuit against one of the nation’s largest ghost gun manufacturers. The bold move aims to hold the company accountable for alleged violations of state and federal laws, seeking injunctive relief and monetary damages.
The defendant, Polymer80, based in Nevada, is a prominent supplier of “buy build shoot” kits that allow individuals to assemble fully functional firearms without serial numbers or background checks. These unserialized and unregulated weapons, known as ghost guns, have become a growing concern for law enforcement agencies across the country.
The Lawsuit’s Allegations
According to the complaint filed by the San Diego County Counsel’s Office, Polymer80 has been engaged in
unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent business practices
by facilitating the widespread distribution of ghost guns. The lawsuit alleges that the company’s products and marketing tactics violate several California laws, including:
- The Unsafe Handgun Act, which requires all handguns sold in California to be certified as safe and meet specific safety standards.
- The Ghost Gun Law, which prohibits the manufacture, sale, or transfer of firearm precursor parts without serial numbers or background checks.
- The False Advertising Law, accusing Polymer80 of making deceptive claims about the legality of their products in California.
These ghost gun kits are a direct threat to public safety,
stated Leslie Wolf Lewis, Chief Deputy County Counsel,
Polymer80 has willfully and knowingly violated multiple state laws, enabling the proliferation of untraceable firearms that endanger our communities.
The Growing Ghost Gun Epidemic
Ghost guns have become a significant concern for law enforcement agencies due to their increasing recovery rates at crime scenes and their potential use in mass shootings. According to a report by the San Diego County Gun Violence Prevention Program, the number of ghost guns seized in the county has skyrocketed in recent years, with a staggering 976% increase between 2018 and 2022.
The surge in ghost gun recoveries has prompted various jurisdictions across California to take legal action against manufacturers and distributors. In 2022, the City of Los Angeles filed a similar lawsuit against Polymer80, alleging violations of the state’s public nuisance laws.
Call for Accountability and Cooperation
San Diego County’s lawsuit seeks an injunction to prevent Polymer80 from continuing its alleged unlawful practices and to impose civil penalties for past violations. Additionally, the county is requesting that the company be ordered to implement stricter age verification and sales monitoring measures to prevent ghost gun kits from falling into the wrong hands.
This is not about restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners,
stated Nathan Fletcher, Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors,
It’s about holding companies accountable for enabling the unchecked proliferation of untraceable weapons that pose a grave threat to public safety.
As the legal battle unfolds, San Diego County officials are urging other jurisdictions and state attorneys general to join forces in combating the ghost gun crisis through coordinated legal action and stronger regulatory measures.
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