BALTIMORE — Police said they confiscated 20 "ghost guns" being assembled at a home in southeast Baltimore, and arrested a 49-year-old man yesterday who's accused of using a 3D printer to build the untraceable weapons.
It's part of what BPD Commissioner Michael Harrison is calling an "exponential" rise in "ghost guns" recovered in the city - from nine in 2018 to 477 this year. City leaders evensued major "ghost gun" manufacturer Polymer80, Inc. in June.
In this latest case, Baltimore Police SWAT units descended on the Rose Street house, off of Orleans Street, at about 4:40 p.m. Dec. 29. The investigation was launched by a social media posting.
Photos of the items seized include a Christmas tree that's apparently decorated with "ghost gun"-related items and other weapons.
Kevin Wallace - who has an "extensive criminal background," said police, including six prior convictions that disqualify him from having guns - was arrested at the scene.
Police determined he was using a 3D printer to build "ghost guns." SWAT officers seized about 20 Polymer80 handguns in various stages of assembly, AR-style pistols, Glock and Smith & Wesson slide assemblies, two rifles and BB guns. They also seized the 3D printer and related items, including ammunition, spent shell-casings, memory cards and other manufacturing equipment.
Harrison said in a statement that these types of guns "are extremely hard to trace and difficult to tie to murders and they have no place in our city... We must continue to see to it that Polymer80 and other manufacturers of build kits cannot create a marketplace of untraceable, easy-to-obtain weapons. The more guns we keep out of the hands of people who should not have weapons, the sooner we can reduce the number of violent crimes in Baltimore. This is a truly hopeful way to end 2022.”
Mayor Brandon Scott also said:
“Ghost guns have created far too much chaos and heartache in communities across this city and throughout our nation."
Anyone with information about illegal guns or crimes may call the Metro Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-866-7LOCKUP. You may also submit an anonymous online text tip to Metro Crime Stoppers by visiting the MCS website.
