Police shoot and kill teen they say had illegally modified gun; what is an automatic gun?

Police shot and killed a teenager they said had an illegally modified gun.

>> ON THE SAME SUBJECT: 'A good boy': Teen shot dead by police had no criminal record, family's lawyer says

John Bedell, a reporter with News Center 7's I-Team, has been covering these weapons for years.

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

A simple pull of the trigger can empty an entire magazine in seconds.

The investigative team has previously covered cases where federal prosecutors in Dayton have charged men arrested with firearms or switches in our area with “possession of a machine gun.”

>> ORIGINAL COVER: I-Team: What is a “Glock switch”? A small illegal device that turns common handguns into machine guns

Leticia Walker said she couldn't believe they were showing up in the Miami Valley.

“I don't like it. It's automatic and there's a lot of bullets and they 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 thoughts on the presence of these types of weapons in the Dayton area.

“It's terrifying. It's terrifying. Especially in the wrong hands. I mean that's a lot of bullets in two seconds,” Combs said.

Being caught in possession of these devices results in serious charges.

Owning such a vehicle is a federal crime and can land you in prison for up to 10 years.

Using one in a crime in Ohio can land you in prison for at least six years.