California AG: 54 ghost guns seized in unique state program

By STEFANIE DAZIO
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California law enforcement seized 54 so-called ghost guns last year from people who can’t legally own firearms, a 38% jump in the number of the hard-to-trace weapons seized since 2021. The ghost guns, which are illegally homemade firearms without a serial number, were part of nearly 1,500 guns seized statewide last year through a unique California program called the Armed and Prohibited Persons System, known as APPS. The California registry cross-matches databases to find people who legally purchased weapons but are now banned from ownership. The system included 23,869 people as of Jan. 1. The California attorney general announced last year’s seizures under the program on Monday.