Police shoot teenager who allegedly had illegally modified gun; what is an automatic safety discharge? – WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio

On Tuesday, the I-Team showed people in the Miami Valley what a gun illegally equipped with an automatic trigger, or “switch,” can do.

By pulling the trigger once, an entire magazine can be emptied in a matter of seconds.

The I-Team has previously reported on cases in which federal prosecutors in Dayton have charged men caught with Sears or Switches in our area with “possession of a machine gun.”

>> ORIGINAL REPORTING: I-Team: What is a ‘Glock switch’? Small illegal device that turns popular handguns into machine guns

Leticia Walker said she couldn’t believe they showed up in the Miami Valley.

“I don’t like it. It’s automatic and has a lot of ammunition, and it could kill a lot of people in a matter of seconds,” Walker said.

Jessica Combs lost her son Ronnie Bowers to gun violence.

“September 4, 2016. He was shot,” Combs said.

Combs shared her opinion on the existence of such weapons in the Dayton area.

“It’s scary. It’s scary. Especially in the wrong hands. I mean, that’s a lot of rounds in two seconds,” Combs said.

If you are caught with these devices, you could face serious charges.

Possession of such an object is a federal crime and can be punished with a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

Anyone who uses such a substance in a crime in Ohio can be sentenced to at least six years in state prison.