![Polymer80 describes its 'Buy, Build, Shoot' kits - which were sold on the retailers website until recently and now still sold by resellers online, as 'contain[ing] all the necessary components to build a complete... pistol'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/08/10/22/46524479-9881095-image-a-40_1628630905773.jpg)
Polymer80 describes its 'Buy, Build, Shoot' kits - which were sold on the retailers website until recently and now still sold by resellers online, as 'contain[ing] all the necessary components to build a complete... pistol'
Two LA Sheriff's Deputies who were wounded by shots fired from a 'ghost gun' made from an assemble-at-home kit have sued its manufacturer.
Claudia Apolinar, 31, and Emmanuel Perez-Perez, 24, filed the lawsuit Monday against manufacturer Polymer80 after claiming the firm designed its kits to be untraceable on purpose, and 'knew their firearms were likely to be used for criminal purposes.'
The suit was filed in California's Superior Court after the cops were shot through the passenger window of their police cruiser while parked at a Metro-rail station in Compton in September of 2020.
Alleged shooter Deonte Lee Murray, who the suit claims purchased a PF940C kit from one of the company's distributors, was barred from purchasing or owning firearms due to previous convictions for sale and possession of narcotics, firearm possession, receiving stolen property, burglary and terrorist threats.
Deonte Lee Murray is accused of shooting Deputies Claudia Apolinar and Emmanuel Perez-Perez through the passenger-side window of their cruiser, using a self-assembled weapon made by Polymer80
A large number of Sheriff's Deputies surrounded the St. Francis Medical Center while the officers were being treated for their grave injuries
Officers brought flowers for the two injured Deputies during their hospital stay in September of last year - the two are still recovering and have yet to return to work with the Sheriff's Department
'The shooter was able to commit the ambush shooting of the Deputies because [Polymer80's] deliberate and reckless acts created a... market that... provided persons like the shooter with easy access to unserialized... guns assembled from kits and purchased without any background check,' reads the lawsuit.
'We have no public statements to make at this time,' Polymer80 Media Representative Alex Brodsky wrote to MailOnline reporters via email.
Apolinar and Perez-Perez's lawsuit, carried out by the Law Offices of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly and Schoenberger, seeks 'punitive and exemplary damages in an amount sufficient to punish and deter Defendants' conduct.'
Los Angeles Police Chief Michael Moore told the Associated Press that one third of all weapons recovered by his department are built from kits, and federal officials have reported to the outlet that thousands have been seized in connection with crime investigations.
The prevalence of home-machined weapons has increased since 3D printing became available, according to Slate - the outlet wrote that the recommended model of printer for making weapons at home costs just $250.
The PF40C 'Buy, Build, Shoot' kit can be purchased for $575.00 online via the Centennial Gun Club, with the option of $33.94 installments. According to TrueGunValue.com, a genuine Glock 19 can be purchased for $550.
The PF40C 'Buy, Build, Shoot' kit can be purchased for $575.00 online via the Centennial Gun Club, with the option of $33.94 installments. According to TrueGunValue.com , a genuine Glock 19 can be purchased for $550.
About 23,906 suspected 'ghost guns' recovered by law enforcement to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms between 2016 and 2020, according to the agency.
The ATF doesn't consider uncompleted firearm kits to be firearms - buyers, therefore, do not have to undergo background checks, and the weapons are not manufactured with serial numbers.
The gun used in the September shooting, according to the lawsuit, was merely marked 'P80,' the manufacturer's logo.
A weapon is considered a gun, according to the Gun Control Act of 1968, when it is 'designed to or may be readily converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive [or] the frame or receiver of any such weapon.'
The Polymer 80 product in question is not considered a firearm, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
That is because it is incapable of housing a Glock locking-block and is sold without 'a trigger-pin hole'; 'a trigger mechanism housing pin'; 'a locking block-pin hole; 'front or rear frame rails' ; or a 'a barrel seat.'
The name 'Polymer 80' is derived from the term '80 percent receiver.' While a receiver - which houses certain parts of the weapon - is considered a firearm by the ATF, the
