What does the Supreme Court ruling on ghost guns mean for Minnesota?
The Brief
The U.S. Supreme Court this week upheld a regulation on "ghost guns" that have led to an "explosion of crimes."
The court's decision allows the ATF to regulate weapons parts kits that can be quickly assembled into untraceable guns that do not have serial numbers.
Minnesota's Supreme Court is also expected to rule soon on a challenge to a state law increasingly used by police to crack down on ghost guns.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that the ATF can regulate untraceable "ghost guns" that have led to an explosion in crime across the country and in Minnesota.
What we know
In a 7-2 ruling, the Supreme Court ruled this week that the Gun Control Act of 1968 allows the ATF to regulate weapons parts kits that can be easily assembled into untraceable, unserialized firearms known as "ghost guns."
In 2022, the ATF adopted a rule that required weapons kits, which can be purchased easily online, to be regulated like any other firearm.
However, the rule was challenged and struck down before it was appealed to the Supreme Court.
In the majority opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch concluded most weapons parts kits can be regulated because they are obviously meant to be "an instrument of combat."
Gorsuch added that untraceable "ghost guns" led to an "explosion of crimes" around the country.
Local perspective
More privately-made "ghost guns" are turning up at crime scenes in Minnesota than ever before.
Law enforcement agencies are using a state law that bans the possession of unserialized firearms to crack down.
By the numbers
The FOX 9 Investigators analyzed state court data and found 170 people were charged under that law in 2023 —ten times the amount charged in 2020.
But the law was challenged as being "unconstitutionally vague."
The Minnesota Supreme Court is expected to rule soon after hearing oral arguments last June.
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