The New York Police on Monday (Dec 09) arrested a man in connection with the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s fatal shooting. The man allegedly possessed a type of homemade weapon called a “ghost gun.”
The 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who has been called a “strong person of interest” by the police, had a “ghost gun that had the capability of firing 9 mm round and a suppressor” when the officials arrested him on weapon charges in Altoona, Pennsylvania, said New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny while speaking to the reporters.
Speaking to NBC, a senior law enforcement official said that the weapon found in the possession of Mangione appeared very similar to the weapon which was involved in the Manhattan murder.
Kenny added that the weapon “may have been made on a 3D printer.”
What is a ghost gun?
A ghost gun is a privately made firearm which gets assembled by people who are not licensed manufacturers, as per the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
These guns do not have a serial number which makes it difficult for officials to track them.
All the ghost guns are not illegal and all firearms do not need to have a serial number. Ghost guns can be shotguns, revolvers, rifles, pistols, machine guns and more.
From 2016 to 2021, ATF reported that more than 45,000 suspected ghost guns were recovered from potential crime scenes by police.
How are ghost guns usually made by people?
People make ghost guns by using a 3D printer or they are assembled from a kit. The weapons can be made by spending less than $200, although an average price of around $500 has been placed by the officials, reported CBS News.
People can even buy kits of handguns as well as AR-15s and AK-47s from online platforms.
Watch: UnitedHealthcare CEO Murder: Brian Thompson’s Murder Suspect Now In Custody
“You can buy a box of firearms parts, and you can assemble those firearms together. And I’ve seen videos on YouTube, where you can see people doing it in record time — 20, 30 minutes,” said Marvin Richardson, ATF acting director in 2022.
Are ghost guns illegal in the US?
All kinds of ghost guns are not illegal in the country. As per the ATF, people can make their own firearms with the use of 3D printing or other process if the gun made is “detectable”, as per the Gun Control Act.
As per the ATF, it is legal for people to make a firearm for personal use without any license.
Some states, which include where Thompson was shot, have additional laws around ghost guns.
(With inputs from agencies)