By Associated Press’s Lindsay Whitehurst
Washington (AP) According to investigators on Monday, the heinous murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO was most likely committed using a ghost gun, one of the almost untraceable weapons that can be constructed at home.
Police think the pistol used in Brian Thompson’s shooting last week may have been manufactured using a 3D printer. A ghost gun is a firearm that does not have a serial number. It could shoot bullets of 9 mm. According to authorities, Luigi Mangione, the man who was arrested in connection with the crime, also possessed a sound suppressor or silencer.
In recent years, ghost weapons have become more common at crime scenes around the United States.
Here are some examples of weapons and the attempts to control them:
Ghost guns: what are they?
The guns don’t have serial numbers and are privately manufactured.
Serial numbers, which are typically shown on the gun’s frame and enable authorities to link the weapon to its maker, dealer, and original buyer, are typically required for weapons made by authorized businesses.
On the other hand, ghost firearms are composed of components that the owner can put together. The so-called lower receiver is a crucial part of creating an undetectable firearm. Some come as DIY kits, and the receivers are usually composed of polymer or metal. They consist of rifles and semiautomatic handguns.
Do they have legal status?
Building a firearm for one’s own use is permitted in the United States. Ghost gun kits were accessible online until roughly two years ago, enabling individuals to assemble the weapons at home without the need for age or background checks.
In 2022, the Biden government took action to implement background checks and age restrictions after police discovered more ghost firearms at crime sites.
Purchasing one now is more akin to buying a standard firearm from a gun store.
According to court filings, the number of ghost weapons has now decreased or flattened out in a number of major cities, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York.
However, the rule has been contested in court by gun organizations. When the Supreme Court heard the case in October, it appeared likely that the restriction would be upheld. It has not yet rendered a decision.
Ghost guns have been employed elsewhere.
According to Justice Department data, law enforcement seized about 20,000 ghost weapons in 2021, up from 4,000 in 2018. Traditional firearms are still used in crimes far more frequently, though.
When John Zawahri opened fire on the Santa Monica College campus in California in 2013, murdering six people—including his father and brother—ghost weapons truly came into the public eye. After failing a background check at a gun dealer, Zawahri built an AR-15-style weapon before being shot and killed by police.
In order to get around a court order that forbade him from possessing weapons, a gunman in Northern California in 2017 constructed his own weapon, killing his wife and four other people. A teen shot and killed two classmates and injured three others at a suburban Los Angeles school in 2019 using a handmade handgun.
In 2023, a mass shooting in Philadelphia that used a ghost gun akin to the AR-15 claimed five lives. According to authorities, a shooting at a small Catholic school in Northern California last week left two kindergarteners gravely injured and apparently involved the use of a ghost gun.
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