Ryan Hanafin, 22, has not been charged in the death of his mother. Authorities in Massachusetts still call him a “person of interest” in the fatal shooting of Andria Hanafin, 49, in the family’s Reading home early Thursday. But he is already charged with crimes in Massachusetts: 15 counts of improperly storing a large-capacity firearm near a minor, and possession of an untraceable firearm, a so-called ghost gun, according to the Boston Globe and Boston.com.
Those charges are why he can be held in Vermont as a fugitive from justice. Here is what the storage law says, why the penalties are severe, and what happens next. Ryan Hanafin is presumed innocent of every charge.
What has been reported
- Matthew Hanafin called 911 at 12:38 a.m. Thursday after coming home to the family’s Center Avenue house and finding his wife dead in the kitchen, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said, according to WCVB and NBC10 Boston. Her cause of death is believed to be a gunshot wound. The couple’s 13-year-old son was home and unharmed.
- Vermont State Police arrested Ryan Hanafin at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday after a traffic stop on Route 100 in Warren, Vermont, and he was held without bail on a charge of being a fugitive from justice, with a hearing set Friday in Vermont Superior Court in Barre, WCVB and Boston.com reported.
- The Massachusetts warrant charges 15 counts of illegal storage of a large-capacity firearm near a minor and possession of an untraceable firearm, Boston.com reported. The Boston Globe’s headline described him as facing “illegal gun charges in Mass.”
- The DA said he had firearms registered in his name and a license to carry that was suspended Thursday morning. She said the death appeared to involve domestic violence, but the circumstances are under investigation. Whether he will be charged in his mother’s death “remains unclear,” Boston.com reported.
The storage law: G.L. c. 140, § 131L
Section 131L makes it unlawful “to store or keep any firearm in any place unless such firearm is secured in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device, properly engaged so as to render such firearm inoperable by any person other than the owner or other lawfully authorized user.” A gun is not considered “stored or kept” while it is carried by or under the control of the owner.
The penalty depends on the type of gun and whether a child could get to it:
- A standard firearm: a fine of $1,000 to $7,500, up to 18 months in jail, or both. § 131L(b).
- A large-capacity or semiautomatic weapon: a fine of $2,000 to $15,000, 18 months to 12 years in prison, or both. § 131L(b).
- Where someone under 18 may have access. If the gun was kept “in a place where a person younger than 18 years of age who does not possess a valid firearm identification card … may have access without committing an unforeseeable trespass,” the penalties rise. For a large-capacity rifle or shotgun stored where a minor may have access, it is a fine of $10,000 to $20,000, four to 15 years in prison, or both. § 131L(c), (d).
The child-access provisions do not require that a child actually touched the gun. They turn on whether a minor living in or visiting the home “may have access.” A 13-year-old lived in the Hanafin home, according to the DA. We do not know from reporting which weapons or which subsections are charged, or why there are 15 counts.
The law also has a civil side. Under § 131L(e), a storage violation “shall be evidence of wanton or reckless conduct in any criminal or civil proceeding” if a minor gets access to the gun and someone is hurt or killed as a result.
What an “untraceable firearm” is
Massachusetts law defines an “untraceable firearm” as “a firearm that has not been serialized or a firearm whose serial or other identification number has been removed, defaced, altered, obliterated or mutilated in any manner.” G.L. c. 140, § 121. That is the legal term for what are commonly called ghost guns, including guns assembled from kits or parts without serial numbers.
Why he is held in Vermont
An arrest in another state on a Massachusetts charge sets off the interstate extradition process the U.S. Constitution requires. In general, a person held as a fugitive can agree to waive extradition and be returned quickly, or contest it, in which case the governor of the state seeking him must send a formal demand. Vermont’s own procedures govern the hearing there. We explained how the process works under Massachusetts law after two men wanted in New York were arrested in Lynn this week. In this case Massachusetts is the demanding state. If Hanafin is returned, he would be arraigned on the Massachusetts charges.
A homicide charge, if one is brought, would be a separate decision for the Middlesex District Attorney.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ryan Hanafin charged with killing his mother?
Not as of Friday, October 9, 2026, according to reports. Authorities have called him a person of interest. He is charged in Massachusetts with 15 counts of improperly storing a large-capacity firearm near a minor and possession of an untraceable firearm, and is presumed innocent.
What is the penalty for improper gun storage in Massachusetts?
Under G.L. c. 140, section 131L, it ranges from a fine of $1,000 to $7,500 or up to 18 months for a standard firearm, to $10,000 to $20,000 or four to 15 years in prison for a large-capacity rifle or shotgun stored where a minor may have access.
What is a ghost gun under Massachusetts law?
The statute uses the term “untraceable firearm”: a firearm that has not been serialized, or whose serial number has been removed, defaced, altered or obliterated. G.L. c. 140, section 121.
Do Massachusetts gun owners have to lock up their guns?
Yes. Unless a gun is carried by or under the control of the owner, it must be in a locked container or have a properly engaged tamper-resistant lock or safety device. G.L. c. 140, section 131L.
Sources: Boston.com and the Boston Globe, October 9, 2026; WCVB and NBC10 Boston, October 8-9, 2026, including statements by Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Vermont State Police. G.L. c. 140, sections 121 and 131L, read at malegislature.gov. We have not seen the complaint. Ryan Hanafin is presumed innocent. General information about Massachusetts law, not legal advice.