Queens man charged with firing homemade 'ghost gun' at NYPD officers

A Queens man accused of firing a homemade gun at police is facing attempted murder and other charges, prosecutors said on Thursday.

Joel Kelly, 60, was visiting his sister in Edgemere around midnight on Saturday and fired two shots outside her apartment after she told him to leave, according to the Queens district attorney's office.

Prosecutors said someone called police to report hearing gunfire and two officers spotted Kelly a few blocks away, on Beach 51st Street. The DA's office said the officers chased Kelly, and he turned around and fired in their direction. Neither officer was hit.

Police recovered a homemade firearm, also known as a ghost gun, according to prosecutors. These types of weapons are illegal in New York because they allow people to evade safety regulations like background checks and typically lack serial numbers that make it easier for law enforcement to analyze guns used in crimes.

Homemade firearms have become increasingly common citywide in recent years. The NYPD seized 359 ghost guns last year, up from just 17 in 2018, court papers state. In 2022, the number of seizures was even higher.

Queens has accounted for the largest share of ghost guns taken by police in the last four years, according to court papers the DA’s office recently filed in support of federal ghost gun regulations.

Between 2020 and 2023, nearly 39% of homemade firearms recovered by police were found in Queens, prosecutors said. In the first six months of this year, 121 ghost guns seized by the NYPD — about 58% — came from Queens. The DA’s office said the number of 3D-printed firearms has also increased substantially in recent months.

It’s unclear why such a large portion of seized ghost guns have come out of Queens. But Queens DA Melinda Katz has said that removing firearms from the streets is her highest priority.

“We will remain steadfast in our efforts to take illegal firearms, especially ghost guns, out of our communities,” she said in a press release after Kelly was arraigned in court.

Kelly faces charges of first-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted assault and criminal possession of a ghost gun, among other charges. He could serve a maximum of 40 years to life in prison if convicted. The nonprofit Queens Defenders is representing Kelly and declined to comment.