Delaware County is poised to be the first Philadelphia suburb to ban ghost guns, rapid fire devices

Delaware County is likely to become the latest local government in Pennsylvania to ban ghost guns and rapid-fire gun devices as court cases continue over the same policies in Philadelphia.

The county’s all-Democratic council will vote next month on an ordinance to ban the unlicensed sale, manufacture, and use of parts for 3D-printed guns without a serial number, known as ghost guns. The ordinance would also ban gun devices, including bump stocks and Glock switches, that essentially convert firearms into automatic weapons.

When introducing the ordinance Wednesday, all five of Delaware County’s council members showed support for the measure, arguing it was an important way to limit gun violence in the county without infringing on Second Amendment rights or state gun laws.

“We need to take bold, necessary steps to keep this problem from spiraling out of control,” said council member Christine Reuther. “While we can’t regulate firearms, we have every reason to believe we can regulate firearm parts.”

If approved, Delaware County would be the first of Philadelphia’s collar counties to ban the devices and among the first in the state to take the step.

In a public hearing Wednesday, dozens of Delaware County residents voiced support for the new law as a small step county officials could take.

Marge LaRue, whose grandson, 14-year-old Nick Elizalde, was killed in a shooting at Roxborough High School in 2022, argued Delaware County should act even as federal and state officials have resisted gun control and often expanded firearm access.

“What better use of your resources than keeping children alive?” LaRue said. “You can’t save Nick. Save the others.”

Ghost guns can be put together based on kits that often do not include a serial number, making the firearms harder to trace and more accessible to individuals prohibited from owning guns.

Federal regulations have reduced the use of ghost guns nationwide, and Glock switches are illegal under federal law. But Pennsylvania gun control advocates are renewing a push for local bans out of concern that President Donald Trump’s administration will reverse or fail to enforce those rules. Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing a challenge to federal regulations on ghost guns.

If federal regulations are eliminated, advocates argue, more converters and ghost guns will be produced and distributed.

The proposed Delaware County ordinance carries a penalty of up to 10 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

“We have a lot of laws that if you shoot someone you can get arrested, but our goal is to stop the shooting in the first place,” said Adam Garber, CEO of CeaseFire PA, a statewide gun control advocacy group.

Philadelphia was the first city in the state to enact bans on ghost guns and machine gun converters as part of its ongoing effort to enforce local gun restrictions. The city is currently battling separate lawsuits that argue the ordinances violate Pennsylvania’s preemption law, which prohibits local governments from regulating firearms.

Last year, Commonwealth Court voted 4-3 to uphold the city’s ghost gun ban. The case is now before the state Supreme Court. The city’s ban on bump stocks was challenged in court within days of its approval last year.

Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, a Democrat who championed the ghost gun legislation in the city, thanked Delaware County officials for introducing the ordinance even in the face of court challenges. He said his legislation “raised a level of awareness with the Philadelphia Police Department to be laser-focused on going after those who carry ghost guns.”

”We still have to continue fighting to make sure we get ghost guns off the street,” he said in an interview Thursday. “But I believe that it raised the awareness for law enforcement specifically targeting and going after ghost guns.”

Though the Delaware County ordinance saw overwhelming support Wednesday, it faced some pushback from residents who argued it failed to address the root causes of violence and infringed on gun owners’ rights.

Justin Perry, a resident from Upper Providence, argued that gun hobbyists and enthusiasts should be allowed to make their own guns as law-abiding citizens and that it is already illegal for those individuals to sell a 3D-printed gun without a serial number.

“When somebody makes guns for the sole purpose of meeting the demand for an illegal supply, they are already breaking the gun law without remorse,” he said.

Staff writer Anna Orso contributed to this article.