According to a new federal report, illegal machine gun converters are becoming more prevalent in the U.S.
The report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) documents new data and trends in the use of guns by criminals between 2017 and 2021.
- Illegal machine gun conversion devices, typically called switches, have been recovered more frequently by ATF.
- 5,454 switches were recovered between 2017 and 2021, up from 814 between 2012 and 2016.
- Switches are "more readily available and accessible than they've ever been," said James Densley, a sociologist at the Violence project, a group that studies gun violence.
- Ghost guns, which are made of pre-made parts or through 3D printers, are being used more frequently by criminals.
- The number of ghost guns confiscated by law enforcement annually increased by 1,083% between 2017 and 2021.
- More than one million firearms were stolen from private citizens between 2017 and 2021, the report says.
- A study found that 80% of mass shooters at K-12 schools in recent decades stole guns from family members.
