National Security

​​Capitol Police arrest fugitive with ‘ghost gun,’ large-capacity magazine

Capitol Police on Wednesday announced that they had arrested a fugitive who was found with a loaded, self-assembled gun, otherwise known as a “ghost gun.”

Capitol Police reported that they had found a Polymer80 9mm ghost gun, which officials said had 13 rounds of ammunition in it, after they pulled over a suspect on Tuesday evening.

Officials said that the person, identified by police as 20-year-old Trevon Nibblins from Suitland, Md., was pulled over after they saw a reported stolen vehicle being driven in the Capitol Hill area. Nibblins, for whom Prince George’s County had issued a warrant, acknowledged to police that he had a firearm, which was situated between the center console and driver’s seat.

Nibblins faces multiple charges, including fugitive from justice, carrying a pistol without a license, no valid permit, unauthorized use of a vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of unregistered ammunition and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device.

“This is great police work and one less illegal gun in our community,” Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said in a statement. “These kinds of arrests make a difference.”

Earlier this year, legislation aimed at banning ghost guns — firearms that can be made through homemade kits and are considered untraceable because they lack serial numbers — was reintroduced by Democrats. 

The legislation would have required people who purchased such kits to undergo a background check and require distributors and manufacturers who sell the ghost guns to put serial numbers on the kits and have a manufacturer’s license, among other provisions. 

Republicans have fought attempts to expand the definition of what qualifies as a firearm, including a proposed rule earlier this year that would have included ghost guns in its definition and subjected it to additional regulations.