'Bulletproof' Season 2 Episode 4 features 3D-printed 'ghost' guns, a growing law enforcement headache
Spoilers for 'Bulletproof' Season 2 Episode 4
Despite all the comedy and high-octane action, 'Bulletproof' brings up a lot of socially relevant issues. And in Season 2 Episode 4, they bring up something that is a growing concern around the globe.
In the episode, Aaron Bishop (Noel Clarke), Ronnie Pike (Ashley Walters) and their team go up against former soldiers who have now started selling guns. While going through their factory, the unit comes across 3D printers working on untraceable plastic guns. These so-called "ghost guns" are a major headache for law enforcement officials around the world. A ghost gun is any sort of firearm built at home without a manufacturer's serial number, making them practically impossible to trace.
With the advent of commercially viable 3D-printing, ghost guns have become infinitely easier to produce and are therefore beginning to become a rising concern for law enforcement, both in the US and abroad. One notable crime that was committed with a ghost gun is the Saugus High School shooting of November 2019, an incident that cost the lives of three people including the perpetrator.
What's surprising is that these DIY weapons, while banned in certain states, are still legal under US federal law. This may change in the coming years with ATF and FBI officials pushing for this "loophole" to be closed before it leads to an uncontrollable increase in crimes committed using these untraceable weapons.
The manufacture of unregistered firearms including 3D-printed ghost guns is illegal in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and California. In the last cast, people can build firearms at home but they need to pass a background check and obtain a serial number from the state authorities before completing the build.
With 3D printers getting more and more advanced with each passing year, ghost guns are bound to become even more dangerous than they already are. And even as law enforcement officials race to catch up with technological advancements, it's nice to see the issue being highlighted on the show, raising awareness of the dangers of these DIY weapons.
'Bulletproof' Season 2 airs on Wednesdays at 9 pm ET on The CW.
