Peabody Man Charged Following 'Ghost Gun' Shooting: Police

PEABODY, MA — A Peabody man was charged with illegal gun possession when police determined the weapon involved in an accidental shooting was an illegal large-capacity "ghost" gun.

Ghost guns are typically guns that are rebuilt from parts or kits, and do not have serial numbers that can be registered or traced.

Police said Kyle Joaquim Morais, 19, was charged with two counts of selling or transferring a large capacity firearm, one count of trafficking firearms, two counts of carrying a firearm without a license and two counts of possession of a large capacity feeding device.

Police said they responded to the area of Keys Drive shortly after midnight Tuesday morning and found a victim with a gunshot wound in his leg. The victim, who told police he recently obtained the gun, was treated and taken to Lahey Hospital Burlington with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.

Police said they determined the shooting was accidental and self-inflicted. During a warrant search of a Holten Street apartment as part of the investigation they said they found two 9mm handguns with magazines capable of carrying 30 rounds ammunition.

"Their diligence and hard work throughout the course of the investigation resulted in two dangerous weapons being removed from the streets of Peabody," Peabody Police Chief Thomas Griffin said.

Peabody police K-9s Leico and Akiba, their handlers and State Police Detectives assigned to the Essex County District Attorney's Office assisted in the investigation and search.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In a previous version of this article it indicated that the gunshot wound victim was the person charged. That is not the case. Peabody police said the investigation is ongoing.

Information for this article was supplied by the Peabody Police Department. Patch follows a name removal policy for those listed in its published police reports.