TONIGHT ORIGINAL WITH IN-DEPTH
REPORTING ON A TOPIC WE'VE
BEEN KEEPING AN EYE ON POLICE
NOW SAY THAT AT LEAST 5
SHOOTERS WERE INVOLVED IN LAST
WEEKEND'S VIOLENCE IN
SACRAMENTO. THE SHOOTING THAT
LEFT 6 PEOPLE DEAD. THEY'RE
NOT DESCRIBING THIS WHOLE
THING IS GANG VIOLENCE. ONE
DISCOVERY POLICE SAY IS THAT
ONE OF THEM AND ATTACHED A
SO-CALLED SWITCH TO THEIR GOT
SOMETHING THAT IS ILLEGAL,
SOMETHING THAT LETS HIM FIRE
MUCH FASTER, MUCH MORE
QUICKLY, RON, HOW YOUR TONIGHT
IS INVESTIGATING HOW EASY IT
CAN BE FOR SOMEBODY TO GET
THEIR HANDS ON THIS ILLEGAL
PART. AND WE'VE GOT TO WARN
YOU HEAR THE STORY. DOES
INCLUDE SOME LOUD GUNFIRE.
♪
>> THE RAPID-FIRE STACCATO OF
AN AUTOMATIC WEAPON AT THE
HANDS OF AN ALLEGED GUNMAN
KILLING 6 THIS WEEKEND IN
SACRAMENTO AND WOUNDING 12
OTHERS. THE SUCCESSION OF
SHOTS.
>> FROM AND MANIPULATED
HANDGUN. YOU CAN LITERALLY
FIRED 30 ROUNDS FROM A GLOCK
MACHINE GUN CONVERSION IN THE
SPACE OF ABOUT A 2ND HALF AND
YOU'D THE CONSEQUENCES ARE
JUST DEVASTATED. THAT IS WHAT
HAPPENED. AND THE SACRAMENTO
STREET.
>> POLICE SAYING THEY FOUND A
GLOCK HANDGUN CONVERTED INTO
AN AUTOMATIC WEAPON,
ESSENTIALLY A MACHINE GUN.
MORE THAN 100 SHELL CASINGS
FOUNDED THE CRIME SCENE. ALL
IT TOOK WAS ADDING THIS PART
REFERRED TO AS A SWITCH. ON TO
THE HANDGUN OR SOMEONE THAT IS
NOT BUILT ONE OF THE SWITCHES
ON TO O'CLOCK BEFORE I TAKE IT
WOULD TAKE APPROXIMATELY 15
MINUTES.
>> IT'S NOT A COMPLICATED
OPERATION. AND THAT'S ONE OF
THE DIFFICULTIES FOR LAW
ENFORCEMENT. SCOTT IS A
RETIRED SENIOR EXECUTIVE FOR
THE ATF. HOW PREVALENT ARE
THESE SWITCHES WHEN YOU ARRIVE
TO A PRICE THAT WE DIDN'T USED
TO SEE THESE THINGS VERY
OFTEN. NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU
SEE THEM ALL THE TIME. AND THE
REASON FOR THAT IS THEY'RE
VERY OFTEN MADE IN CHINA. THEY
ARE IMPORTED ILLEGALLY EITHER
BY BEING SOLD ON THE DARK WEB
OR JUST SOLD OUT RIGHT.
>> THE ATF SAYS THAT BETWEEN
2020 IN 2021 THEY'VE SEEN A
FIVEFOLD INCREASE IN MODIFIED
GUN SEIZURES NATIONWIDE. A
SWITCH GUN WAS USED IN A SHOOT
OUT EARLIER THIS YEAR IN
HOUSTON WHERE 3 POLICE WERE
WOUNDED. OFFICERS DESCRIBE IT.
AND THE AUTOMATIC WITH A LOT
OF BAD WEATHER.
>> SWITCHES ARE OUTLAWED
ACROSS THE U.S. UNDER FEDERAL
LAW EXCEPT FOR INDIVIDUALS
WITH A SPECIAL LICENSE FROM
THE ATF. IT CAN BE UP TO A 10
YEAR FELONY IN FEDERAL PRISON
FOR JUST POSSESSING SOMETHING
LIKE THIS. BUT IF AN
INDIVIDUAL SEEKS TO USE IT IN
A CRIME. THE CONSEQUENCES LIKE
IN SACRAMENTO SERIOUS AND
DEADLY.
>> VAUGHN IS JOINING US NOW
LIVES WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IN
THE PIECE. IT'S HARD TO TRACK
THESE PARTS DOWN TO TALK ABOUT
LAW ENFORCEMENT'S TRYING TO DO
TO TRY TO STOP THAT FROM
GETTING INTO THE STREETS,
RIGHT. THIS IS WHY IT IS SO
DIFFICULT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT
BECAUSE WHAT IS HAPPENING IS
THESE MANUFACTURERS IN CHINA,
OUR MAILING IN BULK SO YOU
HAVE THESE US BUYERS WHO ARE
ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE THEM ON
THIS BLACK MARKET IN THAT IS
WHERE THE ATF IS TRYING TO
TRACK DOWN IN TRYING TO PLACE
THE SOURCE HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES OF THESE BOOK
PURCHASERS WHO THEN GO AND
SELL AND DISTRIBUTE THEM TO
INDIVIDUALS IN HYPOTHETICALLY
LIKE THIS INDIVIDUAL HERE IN
SACRAMENTO. THAT IS WHERE
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MUCH LIKE
GHOST GUNS HERE. YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT THESE PARTS THAT
ARE EASILY BEING ABLE TO BE
ASSEMBLED HERE AND OUR DEADLY
HERE. AND YET ATF JUST IN THE
LAST YEAR, NOTABLY HAS HAD
SEVERAL ARRESTS OF THESE MAJOR
PURCHASERS HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES. BUT OF COURSE, WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT THESE COMING TO
THE U.S. IN HUNDREDS OF THESE
SWITCHES IN THESE IN THESE
SHIPMENTS HERE. THAT IS WHERE
IT MAKES IT SO DIFFICULT AND
WHY YOU JUST NOTED THERE THAT
THERE'S BEEN A FIVEFOLD
INCREASE IN THESE LAST YEARS
IN THE NUMBER OF THESE HAVE
BEEN RECOVERED. WHAT MAKES IT
SO DIFFICULT VAUGHN HILLYARD
LIVE FOR US. THANK YOU. ON