Criticism sparks Portland police to delete ‘ghost guns’ post

Online backlash spurred the Portland Police Department to delete a Facebook post about so-called “ghost guns,” after some commenters felt the department went too far in condemning the self-assembled firearms, which are legal to own in Maine. The Bangor Daily News reported Monday that the department’s post discussed a Feb. 15 traffic stop in which a man dropped a homemade gun equipped with a suppressor. Homemade “Ghost guns” lack serial numbers used to trace them and are often purchased without a background check. The Portland Police Department said the gun had been made using parts from Polymer80, a Nevada-based company.