A Utah company has agreed to shut down after the attorney general of Connecticut accused the business of selling parts for privately made “ghost guns” — which lack serial numbers, are harder for authorities to trace and are illegal in the southern New England state.

AR Industries LLC, based in Orem, will cease operations after the settlement that Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced last week.

The company will dissolve, surrender its internet domain and deactivate its social media accounts, Tong announced in a news release. The company’s owner must report to Tong’s office annually whether they or “any agents of AR” have formed any business to start selling “ghost gun” parts again — and, if they do, the owner must attest that the business is obeying Connecticut law.

If any associates are found to be selling such parts illegally, or otherwise violating the terms of the settlement, the state of Connecticut would enforce a $205,000 penalty, the release said.

AR Industries holds a business license issued by the city of Orem, categorized as selling “dry goods and general merchandise.” The company’s address, according to the city, is a house in a residential area. A message left Monday to the company’s phone, as listed on its business license, was not immediately returned.

What appeared to be the company’s URL was not functioning as of last weekend, and there was no trace of the company on major social media platforms.

“Ghost guns” are often made from kits available online, and “typically sold and assembled without traceable serial numbers,” according to a report from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a nonprofit that advocates for gun safety. They are often purchased without a background check.

Tong in a statement said the guns “exist to evade law enforcement and registration.”

“AR Industries shipped these crime guns into Connecticut in violation of our laws and we are shutting them down,” Tong’s statement continued. “Our message to ghost gun dealers is clear — if you ship to Connecticut, we will find you and hold you accountable.”

AR Industries is the third company with whom the Connecticut attorney general’s office has reached a settlement, the news release said. A Florida “ghost gun” dealer also dissolved, while a North Carolina company reached a $425,000 settlement, which includes strong disclaimers and controls to prevent sales in Connecticut. A legal case against a fourth company remains pending.

Connecticut is one of 14 states that has passed laws to regulate the sale and manufacturing of “ghost gun” components, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Utah is not among those states.

The settlement between Connecticut and the Utah company came just days before the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a case involving federal regulation of “ghost guns.”

The New York Times reported that the high court on Tuesday is scheduled to consider a challenge to a 2022 rule change by the Biden administration that would require vendors who sell partially finished frames of Glock-style handguns — the pistol grip and the firing mechanism — to treat them like complete firearms, subject to federal regulations.

U.S. Environmental Protection has recognized Edgewell, a multinational consumer products company headquartered in Connecticut, as an industry leader in freight and supply chain environmental performance.

Zeyna Malik

10:56 pm, Oct 07, 2024

Contributing Reporter

Daniel Zhao, Senior Photographer

Edgewell Personal Care Company, or Edgewell, a Shelton-based consumer products company, was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their efforts in running their company sustainably. 

Edgewell received The SmartWay Excellence Award, which highlights the top environmental performers out of over 4,000 shipping companies, on Sept. 24. The company was one of 18 of SmartWay’s Partners recognized with this distinction.

“Our company’s purpose — make useful things joyful — and our sustainability vision go hand in hand,” Paul Hibbert, the chief supply chain officer, said. “We believe in innovating solutions, embracing opportunities and embedding practices throughout our operations and supply chain that move us forward on our sustainability journey.”

At Edgewell, sustainability is not just a department — it’s the heartbeat of the entire operation. From the boardroom to the packaging facilities, the retailer is dedicated to integrating sustainable practices into every aspect of their production and transportation processes.

Edgewell’s “people-first” approach significantly shapes its company culture. Each of their teams collaborates with the sustainability department to meet global consumer needs for personal wellness and hygiene products. This approach ensures sustainability is a key consideration while responding to consumer demand.

Before receiving the SmartWay Excellence Award, Edgewell had already made significant strides in sustainability across various aspects of their operations, products and packaging.

One notable achievement was the company’s success in reducing water usage by 5.2 percent by FY23, surpassing its goal of a five percent reduction compared to the FY19 baseline. 

Innovation in manufacturing has also been a key focus for the company. At their Ormond Beach facility, a breakthrough cold processing technique for ingredient batching was introduced during the production of certain sunscreen formulations. This innovation removed the need for traditional heating, reducing energy consumption by 90 percent per batch and saving approximately 75,500,000 kilojoules annually. The new method not only increased production capacity but also significantly contributed to the company’s energy efficiency goals.

Packaging sustainability has been another focal point for the company. Edgewell introduced a reusable sprayer for its BANANA BOAT sunscreen, paired with refill bottles made from recycled plastic. This move was part of the company’s larger effort to reduce waste and support more sustainable product life cycles. Additionally, the CREMO brand redesigned its packaging to include higher percentages of recycled materials.

Amy Knight, the vice president of global sustainability, noted the progress in packaging sustainability, particularly in reducing “virgin petroleum-based plastic.” Edgewell achieved a 55.8 percent reduction in virgin plastic in their razors and blades segment, surpassing their original reduction goal ahead of schedule. According to Knight, this effort underscores the company’s broader commitment to embracing circular economy principles and minimizing packaging waste.

Initially, Edgewell’s sustainability efforts were concentrated on internal operations, such as reducing waste and energy consumption, as well as enhancing workplace conditions within its manufacturing sites. However, the company soon realized that broadening its focus to include product sustainability and actively engaging with consumers would have a more significant impact. This shift allowed them to drive their sustainability initiatives forward and communicate their importance to both customers and consumers.

With time, Edgewell expanded its focus beyond the environmental footprint of its manufacturing facilities to address its overall carbon impact. This required the implementation of comprehensive systems to collect and analyze large amounts of data. Using this data, the company is now assessing greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain to uncover reduction opportunities and create strategies for decarbonizing the business as much as possible.

“Some of the biggest challenges we face in integrating sustainability into our operations are the resource availability and the inconsistent standards of facilities across the globe,” Caroline Mallet, the vice president of innovation transformation, said. “The transition to sustainability is a complex but necessary process to ensure social responsibility and long-term relevance.”

Although implementing sustainable solutions is necessary, they often come with increased expenses that most consumers are reluctant to bear. As a result, the company must continually find a way to advance while ensuring that consumers are open to adopting these changes. 

For example, when it comes to product packaging, most of it ends up as waste, making any innovation aimed at minimizing or eliminating this waste a positive development. However, packaging often serves as the main point of interaction with the customer, adding complexity to the issue.

Thinking ahead to emerging technologies and trends, Edgewell’s sustainability department is intrigued by the future intersection of AI and sustainability, according to Knight. While AI presents increasing environmental challenges, it also offers opportunities to track, enhance and expand the company’s efforts.

“We strive to embed sustainability deeper across our organization and at every stage of our product development,” Knight said. “And we entrust and empower our teammates to help bring our vision to life. It’s because of their passion and persistence that we are able to make progress across our global organization — whether through evolving products that inspire moments of consumer joy or embracing opportunities to reduce waste, emissions, energy use and water consumption.” 

Edgewell Personal Care Company is headquartered in Shelton, Conn.

Police in southeast Connecticut are investigating after a man allegedly fatally beat his 6-year-old stepson with a baseball bat in what detectives are calling a brutal domestic violence attack on the boy, his younger brother and their mother.

Abdulrahim Sulaiman, 38, was arrested on charges including felony murder with special circumstances and violating probation in connection to the killing of Jathan Escobar, who the Bridgeport Police Department reported died as a result of injuries suffered in the Sept. 25 assault.

The attack took place at his family’s Bridgeport apartment in a residential neighborhood about 20 miles southwest of New Haven, north of Long Island, New York.

On Wednesday, police announced the boy died at a hospital after being in critical condition for one week.

The suspect had a criminal history which included violent felony convictions, court documents show. The Department of Children and Family had interacted with the victims about two months prior to the boy’s death, state officials confirmed to USA TODAY.

“The Bridgeport Police Department’s thoughts and prayers are with his entire family and friends,” the agency posted in a news release.

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Boy, sibling and mother all suffered life-threatening injuries from blunt force trauma

On the day of the attack, police wrote in the release, officers responded at 10 a.m. to an apartment building in the city for a report of a domestic violence call.

“Please help us,” the boy’s mother yelled to a dispatcher after dialing 911, according to an incident report obtained by People. “He’s hitting us with a bat!” Not long after, the report continues, surveillance video captured the suspect “jumping out of an upper window and landing headfirst into a garbage dumpster before swinging the bat around.”

At the scene, witnesses directed officers towards a man walking away from the area of the assault, police wrote, and detained the suspect. Additional officers entered the building and found a 33-year-old woman and her two children, 4 and 6, all suffering from life-threatening injuries sustained from what they said was blunt force trauma.

Officers began life saving procedures and responding medical personnel transported the victims to area hospitals. The mother and her children all in critical condition when they arrived at the hospital, police said. The condition of the woman and her 4-year-old child were later upgraded to stable.

A preliminary investigation by detectives found the woman and her children were “brutally assaulted” by the suspect detained outside the apartment. Police identified the suspect as Sulaiman and said the victims knew their alleged attacker.

At the scene, police arrested Sulaiman on multiple charges including attempted murder and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Prosecutors upgraded one of the attempted murder charges after the boy died.

Sulaiman, who police said lives in Bridgeport, was arraigned Sept. 26 at Bridgeport Superior Court. On Monday he remained jailed without bond.

Court records show his case is being handled by the public defender’s office.

“Mr. Sulaiman will be arraigned on Thursday, October 10th, over the next few months all of the evidence will be reviewed by myself and Mr. Sulaiman,” Bridgeport Judicial District Public Defender James J. Pastore told USA TODAY Monday. “Afterward, we will decide how to proceed with the case. At this point, Mr. Sulaiman is cloaked with the presumption of innocence.”

‘He was always so happy’

The boy’s cousin, Sasha Heron, said Jathan was on a ventilator prior to his death, WFSB-TV reported last week.

“He was always so happy and he just enjoyed life altogether,” Heron told the outlet. “No matter what was going on, he was always so happy with everybody.”

Jathan’s aunt, Sandra Escobar, also told the outlet Jathan’s mother said the suspect threatened to kill her and the children and the family had reported the abuse to authorities. The family said Jathan’s mother and Sulaiman had only been married “a couple of months.”

“Today, my sweet 6-year-old nephew made his final journey as he gives the ultimate gift of life through organ donation,” Jathan’s aunt Anna Escobar wrote in a fundraiser she created to help the family with funeral and medical expenses. “After suffering unimaginable pain and losing his life due to a brutal and senseless act, he leaves behind a legacy of hope for others. His heart, full of love, will beat on, and his light will continue to shine through the lives he saves.”

As of Monday more than 300 people had raised about $14,000 to help the family.

“Though we are shattered, we honor his strength, innocence, and the selfless act that will help others live,” the boy’s aunt wrote. “We will not rest until those who failed them are held accountable.”

USA TODAY has reached out to Jathan’s family.

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‘Shocking and horrendous incident’ remains under investigation

On Friday, Bridgeport Superior Court records show, police also issued a warrant for Sulaiman’s arrest on a charge he violated probation in connection to an October 2021 assault. He pleaded guilty to charges of assault on a public safety officer, risk of injury to a child and violation of a protective order in September 2022, the records show and was sentenced to two years in prison followed by four years of probation.

Connecticut Department of Child and Family Services Commissioner Jodi Hill-Lilly told USA TODAY the agency is conducting a joint investigation with the Bridgeport Police Department after being notified of the boy’s killing.

“This shocking and horrendous incident once again draws attention to the escalation of domestic violence in our communities and the traumatic impact it has on children,” the commissioner released in a statement following the boy’s death. “Our sincere condolences are with this little boy’s family who now grieve his loss, as well as his friends, classmates and others who knew and interacted with him.”

“At the time of the incident, the department was not involved with the mother and children but had interacted with them approximately two months prior to the report being received,” Hill-Lilly said.

The commissioner said she could not comment further on the investigation as the case remains active and open.

If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic violence call The National Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or visit www.thehotline.org. Callers can remain anonymous.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.