Grieving Bronx Mother Urges US Supreme Court to Uphold ‘Ghost Gun’ Restrictions

By Andrew Chung

On a cloudy afternoon on April 8, 2022, 16-year-old Angellyh Yambo left Tony’s Mini Market, her favorite corner store in the Bronx, New York City, when gunfire erupted. A bullet struck her upper back, puncturing her lung and pulmonary artery, fatally wounding her as she was an innocent bystander in a targeted shooting.

Angellyh, who shared her mother Yanely Henriquez’s love for crime dramas and true-crime stories, aspired to a career in forensics to help solve crimes. However, the gun used in her tragic shooting was a "ghost gun"—a type of firearm that can be bought online and easily assembled at home, typically lacking serial numbers that are essential for tracing.

The issue of ghost guns is at the center of a significant case being heard in the U.S. Supreme Court, with the Biden administration defending a regulation introduced just three days after Angellyh’s death aimed at controlling their proliferation. Lower courts have ruled in favor of gun rights organizations and parts manufacturers that sought to block this regulation.

"My life has been completely changed by this weapon," said Henriquez. "This wound will never heal because I don’t have my best friend."

Henriquez is advocating for the Supreme Court to uphold the regulation while also seeking justice through a wrongful death lawsuit against Polymer80, a Nevada-based company that is among those contesting the government’s anti-ghost gun rules. Her lawsuit claims that Polymer80 negligently manufactured and sold the firearm parts kit that led to her daughter’s death.

The core of the Supreme Court case involves whether the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) overstepped its authority in regulating ghost guns. The regulation mandates that manufacturers of firearm kits and components, such as incomplete frames or receivers, must mark their products with serial numbers, obtain licenses, and conduct background checks on buyers—similar to existing requirements for commercially manufactured firearms.

The ATF’s regulation clarifies that these kits are categorized as "firearms" under the Gun Control Act of 1968. The administration argues this regulation is essential to tackle the rise in crimes involving ghost guns, which have become particularly appealing to individuals legally prohibited from purchasing firearms, including minors and people with violent crime convictions.

In 2023, the Supreme Court reinstated the rule while the administration continued its appeals.

From 2016 to 2021, over 45,000 firearms recovered by authorities without serial numbers yielded a successful trace to individual buyers in less than 1% of cases, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

Numerous cities have urged the Supreme Court to support the regulation. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark expressed her concerns, stating, "I’ve got enough guns already. I don’t need people building them at home." She emphasized the personal stake she has as a lifelong resident of the Bronx, where gunshots are an all-too-common sound.

The plaintiffs, including companies like Polymer80 and Defense Distributed, along with various gun owners and gun rights organizations, have sued the ATF in a Texas federal court. Judge Reed O’Connor ruled the regulation invalid in 2023, claiming the ATF exceeded its authority and that changes to firearm regulations should come from Congress, not an executive agency.

Cody Wilson, the director of Defense Distributed, argued that ghost guns do not pose a significant public safety threat and cautioned against allowing executive agencies to alter statutory definitions.

On that tragic day outside Tony’s Mini Market, Angellyh was caught in the crossfire of a dispute between 17-year-old Jeremiah Ryan and two others, who fired multiple shots, injuring her and two other teenagers.

Henriquez’s lawsuit in New York state court accuses Polymer80 of creating a dangerous product that contributed to her daughter’s death. She pointed out that gun dealers are prohibited from selling handguns to minors and alleged that Ryan obtained the firearm kit from Polymer80 without undergoing a background check.

"This reflects a serious lack of concern for human life by companies that prioritize profit," stated Anthony Beneduce, Henriquez’s attorney. "If Ryan hadn’t had access to that kit, I believe Angellyh’s family would still be whole today."

Amid growing legal troubles, reports suggest that Polymer80 has shut down operations in recent months. Attempts to reach attorneys representing the company have gone unanswered.

Henriquez has made it clear that if the Supreme Court votes against the regulation, it would be a deep personal blow. "I will fight for my daughter and for a ban on these guns for as long as I can," she stated. "We have already lost too many children."