(NewsNation) — Luigi Mangione, 26, the suspect accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, used a gun that was 3D printed, according to police.
Also called “ghost guns,” homemade firearms only take a few hours and a few hundred dollars to create. They have been a growing concern for years, and Mangione’s arrest Monday put them back in the spotlight.
Between January 2016 and December 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives received about 45,000 reports of suspected ghost guns recovered by police and criminal investigations.
Scott Sweetow, a retired special agent for the bureau, said it’s simple for people to try and make a ghost gun.
“It doesn’t even require the expertise to use a 3D printer. Most of the time, you just use these kits,” Sweetow said. “The kits are what is problematic for law enforcement because they are so easy to use, they are so cheap and they are absolutely untraceable — and they’re being used to kill people virtually every day in this country.”
In 2022 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said they were only able to successfully track less than 1% of suspected ghost guns during a 5-year time period.
Regulations on ‘ghost guns’
Making a homemade gun isn’t illegal under federal law, but the Biden administration in 2022 added a rule that required ghost gun kits to include serial numbers and for buyers to pass background checks.
This rule is being challenged in the Supreme Court. A ruling from the nation’s highest court is expected in the coming months.
There are 15 states that have passed regulations on ghost guns, including the state of New York.