The move comes as armed violence and crime have accelerated in the United States, putting pressure on the White House to take action. Biden was expected to speak on new arms steps at a public event Monday afternoon, according to people who have received invitations. The White House declined to comment on the new steps, which were described by three people who know the subject and are not authorized to speak in public. Detelbach did not respond to a request for comment. Following a 2021 directive from the Biden government, the ATF proposed a rule in May last year to allow the office to classify building blocks, often ghost weapons, as firearms. Since then, the rule has gone through the federal regulatory process. The ATF rule faces a major problem in monitoring and regulating ghost weapons, because some frames and receivers used to assemble weapons are often purchased online and are not classified as firearms by the office. The rule would also require manufacturers selling parts for assembling ghost weapons to be licensed and to carry out background checks on potential buyers of the kits used to assemble the products. The Justice Department has also launched a national ghost weapons initiative, which will “train a national prosecutor and distribute investigative and prosecution tools to help prosecute those who use ghost weapons to commit crimes,” he said. White House. Ghost guns have been used in many recent shootings, including the Maryland High School in January. The exact number circulating is unknown, given the inability of regulators to track them. Many states have moved to curb their sales as ghost weapons become more common at crime scenes. Last week, Maryland merged with Washington, DC and 10 other states – California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington – or the Prohibition Area. of the use of ghost weapons, which are often purchased online and assembled at home. In September, Biden withdrew his candidacy for David Chipman to lead the ATF after facing opposition from Republicans and some moderate Democrats. Chipman, a former career official in the ATF, has come under scrutiny from gun rights advocates and the National Rifle Association for his work as a senior adviser to the Everytown for Gun Safety and Giffords – an organization started by former MP Gabrielle Giffords. who was shot at an event in her Arizona area in 201 Detelbach ran for attorney general of Ohio in 2018, after serving as U.S. attorney general in the state. CNN’s Evan Perez contributed to this report.
