"Ghost guns" seized in "Operation Casper," a six-month investigation by county, local and federal law enforcement in Westchester and Putnam counties are on display Jan. 27, 2022 at Westchester Police Academy in Valhalla. More than 100 weapons, including rifles, handguns, "ghost guns" and high-capacity drum magazines were seized and 11 people were arrested facing state and federal charges. GUNS
San Diego, California – Gun-related crime and deaths are on the decline in San Diego County, according to a new report released Tuesday that highlights the region’s intensified efforts to combat firearm violence.
Acting Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, Terra Lawson-Remer, credited a series of aggressive policy changes for the shift. “We’ve banned ghost guns, passed safe storage laws, and sued the companies that flood our communities with untraceable weapons — and the data shows it’s working,” she said. “Gun deaths are down. Ghost guns are off the streets. We’re saving lives, and we’re not slowing down.”
The report revealed several key improvements. Firearm-related homicides have decreased by 22% since 2020, while firearm suicides dropped 19% compared to last year. Recoveries of so-called “ghost guns” — untraceable, homemade firearms — fell 39%, the steepest single-year drop in the past five years. In addition gun owners have voluntarily surrendered more than 2,600 firearms during county-led gun safety events.
In 2024 alone, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office filed 368 criminal charges connected to ghost gun seizures, including manufacturing, possession, and distribution offenses.
“When we banned ghost guns and started suing the companies behind them, we sent a clear message: These weapons have no place in San Diego,” Lawson-Remer said. “Now we’re seeing the results — fewer sales, fewer guns, fewer lives at risk.”
From 2020 to 2024, San Diego County recorded 1,071 firearm-related deaths, with 734 categorized as suicides and 337 as homicides. Nationwide, 48,204 people died by firearms in 2022, according to a study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The county’s approach combines policy with community outreach. The report recommends focusing on areas most affected by gun violence and its root causes to build long-term solutions. These include hospital-based intervention programs, increased community outreach in neighborhoods like Spring Valley and Vista, and expanded public education on suicide prevention and secure firearm storage.
Lawson-Remer, who has led much of the county’s recent gun safety legislation, said the progress reinforces the need to stay the course. “We’re not just reacting — we’re preventing. And we’re committed to continuing that momentum,” she said.
