U.S. cities sue federal government over untraceable 'ghost guns'

FILE PHOTO: Washington DC area students participate in a protest calling for stricter gun control as a part of the "Walkout Against Gun Violence" second annual event at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Michael A. McCoy/File Photo

(Reuters) - Chicago and three other cities on Wednesday sued the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), demanding it correct how it interprets what is a firearm and halt the sale of untraceable "ghost gun" kits increasingly used in crimes.

The lawsuit is the first of its kind filed against the ATF, according to lawyers for the cities of Chicago, San Jose, Columbia, South Carolina, and Syracuse, New York. It was filed in the Southern District of New York.