San Diego County

City of San Diego's ‘Ghost Gun' Ban Now in Effect

The ENUF ordinance, which was introduced by Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert, was introduced after an April 22 shooting that killed Justice Boldin, 28, outside a hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter and wounded four others, in which a ghost gun was used

NBC Universal, Inc.

The Eliminate Non-Serialized Untraceable Firearm (ENUF) ordinance went into effect Saturday within the City of San Diego. NBC 7’s Allie Raffa has more.

The Eliminate Non-Serialized Untraceable Firearm (ENUF) ordinance goes into effect Saturday within the City of San Diego.

The ENUF ordinance, which was introduced by Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert, was approved by the San Diego City Council on Sept. 14 and signed into law on Sept. 30 by Mayor Todd Gloria.

The ENUF ordinance prohibits the possession, purchase, sale, receipt, and transportation of non-serialized, unfinished frames, unfinished receivers, and non-serialized firearms within the city.

Ghost guns sometimes referred to as "do-it-yourself guns," are homemade, personally manufactured firearms that lack commercial serial numbers and can easily become untraceable due to the lack of identifying markings.

People who are prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms can avoid background checks by legally purchasing the unfinished parts of a gun and then assembling an unregistered ghost gun.

Unserialized gun parts will soon be illegal for purchase in San Diego. NBC 7's Alexis Rivas has the story.

“Today is an important day in the City of San Diego for our ongoing efforts to protect our communities from rising gun violence wreaking havoc in our City,” said Councilmember von Wilpert. “The implementation of the ENUF Ordinance is an important step to curb the spread of non-serialized, untraceable firearms and to prevent firearms from getting into the hands of people who pose danger to our communities.”  

The ordinance was introduced after an April 22 shooting that killed Justice Boldin, 28, outside a hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter and wounded four others, in which a ghost gun was used. The suspect, 32-year-old downtown San Diego resident Travis Sarreshteh, is a convicted felon who is prohibited from owning firearms. He was tackled by bystanders and arrested.

"Unfortunately we had a mass shooting with a ghost gun, and it really woke us all up, and I wish we'd never had that tragedy," said Councilmember von Wilpert. 

Von Wilpert says California law makes it legal for anyone to make a gun at home, as long as they apply for a serial number with the state’s Department of Justice within 10 days.

"Folks who do want to build a gun at home, and are lawful responsible gun owners. This ordinance won't stop them from doing it," von Wilpert said.

She says the ordinance closes that loophole making it one step harder for ghost guns to end up in the wrong hands.

"What is going to do is make sure that criminals or people with mental health or domestic violence, histories can't get the parts that they could have legally before today."

Exit mobile version