Police arrest Joliet teen in connection with possessing ghost gun

A 14-year-old boy in Joliet was arrested and accused of possessing a ghost gun, which is a privately made firearm that is difficult to trace by law enforcement.

At 5:50 p.m. Friday, officers responded to a residence in the 400 block of South Des Plaines Street for a report of a domestic disturbance, Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English said.

When officers arrived, they determined a 14-year-old boy’s mother had found a handgun in a plastic bag within the residence, English said. The gun is believed to be owned by the boy, he said.

“Further inspection of the handgun determined that it was a ghost gun and had no identifiable serial number,” English said.

Officers recovered the handgun and placed the teen in custody on probable cause of unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a ghost gun.

The teen then was transported to the River Valley Juvenile Detention Center in Joliet.

A ghost gun has no serial number, making it difficult to trace by law enforcement if the weapon is used to commit a crime, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Ghost guns can be manufactured from scratch or with a weapon parts kits, federal officials said.