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Ghost gun used in deadly Bite of Seattle shooting
Seattle police Chief Shon Barnes says a "ghost gun" was used in the deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival at Seattle Center on July 26, and there's a lot of work ahead as they dissect digital evidence and search for any other suspects.
SEATTLE - At a Tuesday news conference, Seattle police said they recovered a "ghost gun" along with two other guns at the scene of Sunday's deadly Bite of Seattle shooting.
According to Seattle police Chief Shon Barnes, the gun was a 9mm from Polymer80 that was equipped with an extended 33-round capacity magazine. Barnes said it possessed 19 rounds when officers confiscated it from a 15-year-old suspect.
Keep reading to learn more about ghost guns and how they are manufactured.
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Full press conference: City leaders give update on Bite of Seattle shooting
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Police Chief Shon Barnes hold a press conference giving an update on the deadly Bite of Seattle shooting that left three people dead and five injured.
What is a ghost gun?
Dig deeper:
What we know:
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a ghost gun, or privately made firearm (PMF), is a gun that has been "completed, assembled or otherwise produced by a person other than a licensed manufacturer.
These types of guns are made without a serial number at the time of production and are called ghost guns because of how difficult they can be to track, which also increases the difficulty of completing a crime investigation that involves them.
The ATF says that PMFs can fall into 10 different categories, including: pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, frames or receivers, machine-gun conversion devices, destructive devices, machine guns, firearm silencers and "any other weapon."
However, the agency notes that not all PMFs are illegal and not all guns are required to have a serial number.
Legal vs. Illegal
Dig deeper:
The ATF states that individuals who make their own firearms may use a 3D printing process or any other process as long as the gun is "detectable."
To comply with the federal definition of detectability, the Gun Control Act states that the gun must be able to trigger a walk-through metal detector and can be seen by standard airport-style X-ray screening equipment.
Laws like the Undetectable Firearms Act also make it illegal to sell, deliver, or possess a gun that does not meet these standards.
This means that, under federal law, legal gun owners who make a PMF at home are not required to add a serial number to their firearm as long as they:
- Only keep it for personal use, as any intent to sell or give the gun away classifies the firearm as illegal
- And the firearm complies with the legal definition of "detectable."
Additionally, any PMF owned by someone who is not legally allowed to own a gun for any reason is considered illegal.
Also, destructive devices and machine gun conversion devices like Glock switches, which was found attached to one of the guns that were found by police following the Bite of Seattle shooting, are also illegal under federal law without proper licensing.
Who was Junior Cee Niko Semo? One of the Bite of Seattle shooters
Authorities have identified the 19-year-old as one of the primary gunmen in the deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival last Sunday.
Washington laws vs. federal laws
Local perspective:
As ghost guns have risen in popularity, some states have attempted to curb their production by installing their own laws that may differ from federal law.
Washington is one of those states, and in 2022, the state completely banned the manufacture, assembly, sale, and transport of untraceable guns and unfinished frames or receivers that lack serial numbers.
State lawmakers went even further this year by passing HB 2320, which bans the use of 3D printers and CNC milling machines to manufacture and assemble untraceable or undetectable guns at home, especially for those who are already barred from owning a gun.
The law also prohibits the sale, transfer or possession of digital firearm manufacturing codes or blueprints, unless they are being used by licensed federal firearms manufacturers or dealers.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and FOX 13 Seattle original reporting.
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