Why gun switches are becoming more prevalent in Philly
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Gun switches, the small device seen in this Houston law enforcement official's hand, are becoming more prevalent in Philly. Photo: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
"The sound of war" — that's how Philly police commissioner Kevin Bethel described the rapid gunfire that shattered a recent Memorial Day celebration in Fairmount Park.
The big picture: Police believe one of at least three shooters in last month's deadly attack used a firearm equipped with a switch — an illegal device that's becoming a "major issue" in Philadelphia, deputy commissioner Frank Vanore tells Axios.
- The devices, which can essentially turn pistols into machine guns, have been used in multiple shootings across the city in the past few years, Vanore says. They're being seized more regularly by law enforcement officials in Philly and across the U.S.
The latest: Police now believe that six guns were used in the May 26 mass shooting that killed two people and injured nine others, Vanore told Axios following Tuesday's National Gun Violence Awareness Month event at City Hall.
- Police initially believed at least three shooters were involved, but new evidence raises questions about the possibility of additional shooters or ones armed with multiple guns, Vanore says.
- Police do not have much surveillance footage of the shooting, so they're "working through" other pieces of evidence to crack the case, Vanore says. No arrests have been made.
By the numbers: Philadelphia police have already recovered at least 57 guns equipped with switches this year, per police data provided to Axios.
- 294 of more than 11,400 guns recovered in 2023 and 2024 — or about 2.5% — were equipped with some form of illegal conversion device, per the data.
Threat level: The converted automatic weapons can fire several rounds in seconds with a single pull of a trigger, Vanore says.
- Switches are becoming more popular because they're easy to buy off the internet, for as cheap as $25, and can be installed with the help of a YouTube tutorial, Vanore tells Axios.
- They can also be created with 3-D printers.
What they're saying: Switches are now a "status symbol" among criminals, says Greg Lickenbrock, director of investigations at gun violence prevention group Everytown for Gun Safety.
- "It's an intimidation factor," he tells Axios. "It's very easy for a simple altercation to turn into a shootout."
Police are "doing everything we can" to eliminate them, Vanore says, and stop potential skirmishes from escalating into violence.
- Officers will be redeployed from school areas to places where young people typically gather — including parks and community centers — during summer, historically Philly's most violent season, Vanore says.
- Last summer, Mayor Cherelle Parker signed a bill that banned people from possessing, producing, buying and transferring gun switches and similar rapid-fire devices in Philly.
Zoom out: The use of these gun conversion devices, often marketed under common counterfeit trade names like "Glock Switch," has exploded nationally, ATF spokesperson Ben Benson tells Axios.
- Between 2019 and 2023, the ATF reported a 784% increase in the number of conversion devices seized by police departments across the U.S.
What we're watching: Other states have taken drastic measures to try to eliminate switches, including suing gun manufacturer Glock over the design of its pistols, which they say are easy to modify.