In slightly-better-than-usual news, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Biden administration regulation on the nearly impossible-to-trace weapons called ghost guns, clearing the way for continued serial number, background checks and age verification requirements for buying the products online.
The 7-2 opinion found that existing gun laws allow regulation of the guns, sales of which grew exponentially soon after they came into the market.
The number of ghost guns found at crime scenes around the country also quickly soared, according to federal data. Fewer than 1,700 were recovered by law enforcement in 2017, but that number grew to 27,000 in 2023, according to Justice Department data.
Since the federal rule was finalized, though, ghost gun numbers flattened out or declined in several major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Baltimore, according to court documents. Manufacturing of miscellaneous gun parts also dropped 36% overall, the Justice Department said.
