California sues over ghost gun manufacture

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — A victim of domestic violence told officers that a man pointed a ghost gun at them.

The suspect had a court-ordered prohibition against him. He couldn’t legally possess a firearm, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said.

“And his reply was, ‘Then I’ll just build another one,’” Bonta added.

The attorney general said the incident showed how easily people can obtain computer code to 3D-print ghost guns, weapons without serial numbers that bypass background checks and fuel gun violence across the state.

On Friday, Bonta sued Gatalog Foundation Inc., CTRLPew LLC and three people tied to the foundation — Alexander Holladay, Matthew Larosiere and John Elik — in San Francisco Superior Court.

He argues they illegally distribute code for making 3D firearms and accessories and promote their production, violating California’s unfair competition law.

“Today, we are holding them accountable,” Bonta said.

In the suit, Bonta asks a judge to order the defendants and anyone working on their behalf to stop violating the law.

The attorney general said ghost guns are driving a public safety crisis. In 2015, police recovered 26 such weapons. From 2021 to 2025, they seized about 11,000 ghost guns and auto sears — devices that convert semiautomatic firearms into machine guns — each year.

Bonta said a $200 3D printer, combined with plastic filament and readily available firearm parts, can produce a ghost gun in a single day.

“The challenges change, they evolve,” Bonta said. “We need to change as well.”

California law bans unlicensed 3D-printed firearms and the distribution of computer code without a permit, Bonta said in the lawsuit. Since Jan. 1, it has also prohibited willfully promoting or facilitating the unlawful manufacture of firearms.

Bonta said the defendants violated those laws by posting gun-printing code online, selling related merchandise and soliciting donations.

State and federal law also require firearms to have serial numbers and undergo background checks, which help police solve crimes and prevent prohibited buyers from obtaining weapons, he said.

He adds that ghost guns circumvent that legal process. They have no serial number, are created by unlicensed people and sold or made with no background check.

“Let me be clear: ghost guns are guns,” Bonta said. “They’re firearms like any other.”

They’re also easy to access, he says in the suit.

Bonta said Gatalog’s website offers free access to gun-printing files without requiring users to verify that they hold a manufacturer’s license.

The site hosts more than 100 printable firearm models, including the CAG19 — a “California-compliant” Glock 19-based carbine kit marketed to state residents. While its instructions claim the design is legal, Bonta said printing it without a license is unlawful.

He added that CTRLPew’s website builds on Gatalog’s files by offering guides and blog posts on making 3D-printed firearms.

“The stated purpose of defendants’ operations is to circumvent firearms regulations,” Bonta says. “CTRLPew sells merchandise stating, ‘Go and make it. Print one of everything. Laugh on the grave of gun control and F*** Gun Control.’”

An email address listed on CTRLPew’s Facebook page was inoperative on Friday. It couldn’t be reached for comment through its X account.

No contact information was found for the Gatalog Foundation.