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NYPD officers find 3 ghost guns inside East Harlem day care
By
Ann Givens
Published Sep 27, 2023
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Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
By
Ann Givens
Published Sep 27, 2023
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Police have arrested an 18-year-old and seized three so-called “ghost guns” and a 3-D printer from an East Harlem home that they said was being used as a day care.
The arrests come less than two weeks after a 1-year-old boy died and three other young children were hospitalized after they were exposed to fentanyl at a Bronx day care.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams said city officials will re-examine what measures they need to take to keep children safe at in-home day cares, given the evolving threats that they are discovering.
“It does not give us any joy in coming here to talk about another case where a home day care provider had children in a dangerous environment,” Adams said. “We just want to really say to the parents who are dropping their children off every day to these centers that we are going to remain vigilant."
Police said they executed three search warrants. At the day care, they found two completed 3-D printed guns, one 3-D printed assault pistol in the final stages of being assembled, a 3-D printed gun part and a 3-D printer.
Police also found a “maltreated and neglected” dog, which was removed by the NYPD's Animal Cruelty Unit, officials said.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said police have charged Karon Coley, 18, with illegal firearms possession, manufacturing of an assault weapon and reckless endangerment. Coley’s mother, who runs the day care, has not been charged with a crime, police said. They day care has since been closed.
Coley was due to be arraigned on Wednesday evening. Attorney information was not immediately available.
While they still account for just a fraction of overall gun seizures in New York City, the number of ghost guns recovered by police has climbed in the last five years, from just 17 in 2018 to 463 last year, according to NYPD data.
Adams said city officials will consider how to update city policy to ensure day cares are safe.
“These new methods of creating unsafe environments demand that we stay ahead of those who are doing terrible things in centers where we place our children,” Adams said.
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Ann Givens
Ann Givens is the Public Safety Editor at Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email: [email protected] or reach Ann on Signal at 917-434-0736.
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