Press Releases

Attorney General William Tong

03/08/2020

3D-Printed Guns Win - Attorney General Tong Issues Statement After Court Blocks Release of Files

Attorney General William Tong issued the following statement regarding a preliminary injunction granted late Friday by the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington at Seattle blocking release of 3D-printed gun files. Connecticut and 20 other states filed a federal suit in January seeking to block the Trump Administration’s efforts to allow plug-and-play access to the files that would allow 3D printing of unregistered, untraceable firearms, also referred to as “ghost guns.”

“This is a major victory for public safety and common sense. Securing a preliminary injunction was critical in this case, because once these files are widely available, we cannot easily pull them back. This is a big first step, but we have a long fight ahead and Connecticut is ready to do what it takes to ensure the safety and security of our families,” said Attorney General Tong. “Ghost guns are not a theoretical threat. These unregistered, untraceable weapons have already been seized on the streets of Hartford and Waterbury. Connecticut has some of the strongest laws on the books, but our statutes can only go so far if the federal government opens the flood gates and allows the proliferation of deadly DIY weapons.”
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