NEWSCENTER 5 AT 6:00.
ED: 5 INVESTIGATES TONIGHT FINDING A NEW KIND OF WEAPON MAKING INROADS HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS AND AROUND THE COUNTRY.
MARIA: THEY CAN BE PURCHASED BY ANYONE ON THE INTERNET AND IN LESS THAN AN HOUR THEY CAN BE TURNED INTO WORKING FIREARMS.
OUR KAREN ANDERSON TALKING WITH A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL ABOUT THE GROWING CONCERNS, KAREN.
KAREN: WELL, MASSACHUSETTS HAS SOME OF THE STRONG TEST GUN LAWS IN THE COUNTRY, BUT THESE SO-CALLED GHOST GUNS ARE A WAY CRIMINALS ARE ARMING THEMSELVES WITH WORKING FIREARMS, NO
BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIRED.
A 9 MILLIMETER HANDGUN LOADS AND FIRES LIKE ANY OTHER FIREARM.
WHAT MAKES THESE GUNS DIFFERENT IS THEY WERE BOUGHT IN PARTS AND ASSEMBLED AT HOME.
WHILE THESE ARE REGISTERED AND LEGAL, ANYONE WILLING TO BREAK THE LAW COULD PUT ONE TOGETHER BUT NEVER REGISTER IT AVOIDING ANY RECORD THAT IT EXISTS.
NO BACKGROUND CHECK NEEDED.
IT THEN BECOMES A GHOST GUN.
>> THEY ARE TERRIFYING.
KAREN: DISTRICT ATTORNEY MARIAN RYAN SAYS POLICE ARE SEEING MORE AND MORE GHOST GUNS IN MASSACHUSETTS.
>> IT'S A WAY TO GET YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO RELATIVELY QUICKLY PUT TOGETHER A GUN THAT IS A FIREABLE FIREARM AND EVEN IF YOU LEAVE IT AT THE SCENE, IT'S COMPLETELY UNTRACEABLE BECAUSE
IT DOESN'T HAVE A SERIAL NUMBER.
KAREN: THE D. TAJ BECAME ESPECIALLY CONCERNED AFTER LEARNING ABOUT A 13-YEAR-OLD IN MIDDLESEX COUNTY WHO BUILDS DOZENS OF GHOST GUNS AT HOME.
WAS HE ABLE TO DO IT ALL BY HIMSELF?
>> YES.
KAREN: RIGHT HERE, ALL OF THE GHOST GUNS THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE.
WE DISCOVERED THE PARTS YOU NEED TO MAKE THEM ARE EASY TO FIND ONLINE.
NOW WE PROCEED TO CHECKOUT, THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CHECK.
SOLD AS 80% KITS, CALLED THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE 80% BUILT.
THE BUYER DOES THE OTHER 20% USING STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS AND ORDINARY HOUSEHOLD TOOLS TO TURN IT INTO A WORKING GUN, NO SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED.
WITH A LITTLE EXPERIENCE, YOU CAN BUILD ONE IN HALF AN HOUR, FROM NEARLY 30C'S IN CAMBRIDGE AND ANOTHER ON A GANG MEMBER, 5 INVESTIGATES DISCOVERED THE HOME BUILT UNREGISTERED FIREARMS ARE
BEING FOUND ACROSS THE STATE.
ON THE NORTH SHORE, THIS MAN IS ONE OF THREE CHARGED WITH SELLING AT LEAST EIGHT GHOST GUNS TO AN INFORMANT AND BRAGGED ABOUT SELLING MORE.
ON THE SOUTH SHORE, THE HEAD OF THE LOCAL OUTLAWS MOTORCYCLE GANG ARRESTED AFTER A SEARCH OF HIS HOME FOUND THIS A.R.15 STYLE GHOST GUN HIDDEN INSIDE HIS BAR.
HERE IS ANOTHER A.R.15 SEIZED DURING AN INVESTIGATION INTO A GROUP SUSPECTED OF SELLING GLOCK STYLE GHOST GUNS IN AND AROUND THE FITCHBURG AREA.
>> HOW MANY KITS ARE YOU ORDERED?
>> FIVE.
KAREN: 5 INVESTIGATES RECEIVED VIDEO.
ANOTHER SUSPECT SEEN HERE IN UNDERCOVER VIDEO OF ONE OF THE SALES.
>> THAT'S THE BIGGEST PART OF THE PROBLEM IS HAVING THE MONEY UP FRONT TO ORDER.
STUFF HE NEEDS TO MAKE IT.
KAREN: GHOST GUNS ARE SHOWING UP ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, WHITE SUPREMACISTS CHARGED IN MARYLAND, A SCHOOL SHOOTING IN CALIFORNIA.
>> IT'S A HUGE LOOPHOLE IN THE GUN LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY AND IT'S AN INCREDIBLE THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
KAREN: ADAM SKAGGS IS THE CHIEF COUNSEL OF A GROUP CO-FOUNDED BY OFFICIAL CONGRESSWOMAN GABRIELLE GIFFORDS.
THESE KITS SHOULD BE TREATED THE SAME WAY AS EVERY OTHER GUN.
>> IF YOU'RE A CHILD THAT CAN'T LEGALLY BUY A GUN OR A CONVICTED FELON OR A DOMESTIC ABUSER AND YOU COULDN'T GO TO A GUN STORE AND PASS A BACKGROUND CHECK TO GET A GUN, YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND
BUY THESE KITS, BUILD YOUR OWN GUN, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
KAREN: WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND?
>> IT'S CRAZY.
KA