The City of Baltimore announced Wednesday (June 1) that it is suing the nation's largest ghost gun manufacturer after receiving disturbing data from its police department.
According to a statement from Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott's office, ghost guns make up 19% of all guns seized by the Baltimore Police Department. Ghost guns made by manufacturer Polymer80 make up 91% of all ghost guns seized by city law enforcement.
"The lawsuit, filed in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, asks the Court to order Polymer80 to stop the public health crisis that the company has caused," the statement reads in part. The court filing came on the day that Maryland's ghost gun ban went into effect and accuses Polymer80 of "negligence, and public nuisance, and violations of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act."
"Ghost guns are a devastating menace to the people of Baltimore," Mayor Scott said. "This lawsuit shines a light on Polymer80 and individuals who routinely create a marketplace for deadly, untraceable weapons." According to Mayor Scott, ghost guns provide access to weapons to people who legally should not own firearms, including youth.
"We must stop Polymer80 and companies like it that profit from destroying our communities," Scott said. The lawsuit calls on the company to stop selling the unserialized gun parts in Baltimore, as well as "pay for the injuries and trauma ghost gun violence has inflicted on the city" and "implement a plan to address the harm caused by Polymer80's ghost guns."
President Joe Biden has named ghost guns a growing issue in the nation as American witness a surge in gun violence.
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