We are 8th grade students from Ephraim Curtis Middle School in Sudbury, Massachusetts. We are currently working on a civics action project about ghost guns.  Ghost guns give criminals an easy way to obtain a weapon that they could not get otherwise. A 3D-printed ghost gun does not have a serial number and is made by using a 3D printer with programs that are available online.

The problems with gun violence in Massachusetts and the United States continue to cause a terrible loss of life. In Massachusetts, the death rate from gun violence is 3.7 deaths per 100k people. In 2023, so far there have been 230 homicides in Massachusetts alone. Guns made by 3D printers now provide a new opportunity for potential gun crimes. 

Massachusetts state Senator Jamie Eldridge (D - Marlborough) has co-sponsored a bill with Representative David Linsky (HD 352 / SD 1469) that prohibits the possession of ghost guns and the manufacturing of a 3D-printed gun without a federal firearms license. The Linsky-Eldridge bill would also ban the distribution of digital instructions that program 3d printers to make firearms and components of firearms.

Our group proposes that the Massachusetts legislature and Governor Maura Healey take action to adopt the Linksy-Eldridge bill that will (1) prohibit the sale, purchase, manufacture, and assembly of 3D-printed ghost guns, and (2) ban the distribution of digital instructions to program a 3D printer that manufactures or produces firearms and their components.

Our research shows that ghost guns cause terrible, negative impacts on the lives of people who live in cities and towns like Boston, Springfield, Lowell, Brockton, and other towns and cities in Massachusetts. Passing laws like the Linsky-Eldridge bill will help to reduce crimes in Massachusetts involving ghost guns. We ask you to support the Linsky-Eldridge bill by signing our petition.

Thank you - Jaymari Dixon, Michael Kennedy, Isaac Mora, and Andrew Labagnara.