Ghost Guns

By Nomin Ujiyediin,

Published March 10, 2022 at 4:00 AM CST

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Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe revealed that the Olathe East High School shooting involved a “ghost gun,” the second such crime involving this type of weapon in the county in two weeks. What are ghost guns and why do they make the job of law enforcement and prosecutors harder?

This week, the Johnson County District Attorney said a “ghost gun” was used in the shooting at Olathe East High School. Ghost guns are a relatively new phenomenon in the criminal world. They refer to homemade, untraceable weapons that lack serial numbers. They’re often assembled with parts bought online.

KCUR's Steve Kraske speaks with John Ham of the Kansas City Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives about the new problems these weapons present for law enforcement. And New York Times correspondent Glenn Thrush talks about how ghost guns are proliferating across the country.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love with Trevor Grandin and edited by Gabe Rosenberg & Lisa Rodriguez.

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