New federal firearms tracking technology helping West Virginia law enforcement

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. ( DC News Now ) — In West Virginia, law enforcement is embracing new technology to solve crimes involving firearms.

The innovative science helped in an investigation into a fatal shooting in Martinsburg earlier this week.

“There were two weapons involved in that shooting,” Martinsburg Police Department, Chief Erin Gibbons, said. “We immediately called out the ATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms] and started to trace almost immediately and within probably 30 or 40 minutes, we had some information back on those traces.”

Gibbons credits innovative technology used by the ATF with helping to track suspects in that shooting.

“At our national tracing center we are providing training to investigators on how to better investigate violent firearms-related offenses,” Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge with ATF, said.

The technology isolates forensic DNA in casings and projectiles launched from firearms, important to bringing federal prosecutions, according to William Ihlenfeld, U.S. Attorney for the northern district of West Virginia.

“We can figure out who pulled the trigger and track that down to prevent more violent crimes from occurring,” Ihlenfeld said.

Forensic experts said the technology is 99% accurate.

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