Waymo Robotaxi Halts, Police Detain Two Teens Carrying Ghost Gun in San Francisco

On a San Francisco street, Waymo’s driverless taxi took action by stopping its riders and alerting police. When officers arrived, they discovered two juveniles in the rear seat brandishing a loaded AR‑style ghost gun—a weapon built without a serial number that bypasses standard background checks.

The police report states that the youths were taken into custody and taken to a nearby juvenile detention center. While the report withheld additional investigative details, it did verify that the gun was operational and that no discharge occurred during the incident.

Such a scenario is an uncommon example of a self‑driving vehicle prompting police involvement. Waymo, which runs robotaxis across multiple U.S. cities under a safety‑first model, explained that the car’s safety system identified the firearm and executed its protocol to stop and notify authorities.

Across the country, ghost guns are increasingly worrisome to law‑enforcement agencies because they evade conventional tracing methods. Finding one inside a public rideshare underscores the difficulty municipalities encounter when trying to harmonize new mobility tech with public safety.

San Francisco officials have yet to say if the episode will trigger a reassessment of autonomous‑vehicle policies or spawn new passenger‑screening rules. Nonetheless, city leaders have previously stressed the need to align autonomous technology with current safety standards.

Waymo reaffirmed its dedication to rider safety, pointing out that the vehicle’s sensors and AI spotted the irregularity and responded per its emergency protocol. The firm added that it will fully cooperate with investigators and keep enhancing its detection systems to avert comparable incidents going forward.