'Ghost gun' believed to have been used by 14-year-olds in Lansdowne shooting

BALTIMORE -- Two 14-year-olds are in custody for allegedly possessing a ghost gun that fired shots prompting lockouts Monday afternoon at three nearby Lansdowne schools.

Around 2:40 p.m., officers responded to a shooting in the unit block of Silerton Road, where a 14-year-old boy was shot in his hand.

"Where are these kids getting these guns from?" one Lansdowne resident asked. "For you to be that young, where are you getting a gun from?"

Police said the shooting on Monday forced lockouts at Lansdowne Elementary School, Lansdowne Middle School and Lansdowne High School.

Ghost guns do not have serial numbers. They are untraceable firearms that can be bought online and assembled at home.

In August 2022, WJZ sat down with former Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison to talk about ghost guns. He said there is a direct correlation between an increase in ghost guns and an increase in crime. 

"Because we are seeing an increase in ghost guns, every year you see this exponential increase in the amount of guns we seize," Harrison said. "That is an indication that the number of guns we don't seize is increasing at the same rate."

Data released by the Department of Juvenile Services shows that there has been an increase in homicides among youth in Maryland under the age of 18 over the past three years and a dramatic increase in non-fatal shootings over the last five years.

 "It should not be easier for a young person to go online and order a ghost gun than it is for me to go get some Claritin from my local neighborhood pharmacy," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said.