Multiple cities launch lawsuit against ATF over 'ghost gun' regulations

Several U.S. cities have filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, demanding that the agency enforce stricter regulations against so-called "ghost guns," firearms that are partly built by individual consumers and which are not subject to legal oversight applied to other types of weapons.

"Ghost guns" are unfinished guns which individuals can finish fabricating at home using drills and other common tools. They do not require a background check to purchase, unlike those which are required for functional firearms in most circumstances. 

The lawsuit says that the federal government is "refus[ing] to apply the clear terms of the Gun Control Act" to ghost guns. The ATF, meanwhile, states that the materials within the gun kits "have not reached the ‘stage of manufacture’ which would result in the classification of a firearm."

Chicago and San Jose have joined Columbia, S.C. and Syracuse, N.Y. in bringing the lawsuit. The gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety is also a plaintiff in the filing.