NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York City on Wednesday sued five companies it says are involved in the sale of illegal, largely untraceable “ghost guns” flowing into the city.
In a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, the city said the companies have created a public nuisance by selling “unfinished” firearms components that purchasers can build into guns, without undergoing background checks.
The result is “a proliferation of unserialized, untraceable, unlawful ghost guns in the city’s streets and homes, making the City more dangerous for both the public and for law enforcement, causing a quintessential public nuisance,” the complaint said.
Arm or Ally LLC, Rainier Arms LLC, 80P Builder, Rock Slide USA LLC and Indie Guns LLC were named as defendants.
Indie Guns had no immediate comment, having yet to review the complaint. The other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
New York City wants the defendants to stop selling ghost gun components and provide records of sales into the city over the last five years. City officials said this month that gun arrests are at a 28-year high.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
