CEO of UnitedHealthcare likely murdered with a homemade ghost gun

WASHINGTON — The recent murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO appears to have involved a ghost gun, a type of firearm that is difficult to trace and can often be assembled at home, according to authorities on Monday.

Characteristically, a ghost gun lacks a serial number, and investigators suspect that the weapon utilized in the shooting of Brian Thompson may have been produced using a 3D printer. This particular gun was designed to fire 9 mm ammunition. The suspect in the case, Luigi Mangione, was found in possession of a sound suppressor, commonly known as a silencer, police reported.

The presence of ghost guns at crime scenes across the United States has increased significantly over recent years.

**Understanding Ghost Guns**

Ghost guns are firearms constructed privately by individuals, void of any serial identifiers. Typically, guns manufactured by licensed entities are required to bear serial numbers, which facilitate tracking back to the manufacturer, seller, and initial buyer.

In contrast, ghost guns consist of components that can be assembled by the owner. The most crucial part in fabricating an untraceable firearm is the lower receiver. Many of these parts are available through do-it-yourself kits, with common materials being metal or polymer. These kits can include everything from semiautomatic pistols to rifles.

**Are Ghost Guns Legal?**

In the United States, constructing a firearm for personal utilization is permitted. Up until approximately two years ago, ghost gun kits could easily be purchased online, enabling individuals to assemble weapons in their homes without needing a background check or age verification.

As law enforcement started to uncover more instances of ghost guns in violent crimes, the Biden administration initiated steps to impose age limitations and background checks for these weapon kits in 2022. Buying one is now similar to purchasing a conventional firearm from a retail outlet.

Following these regulatory changes, the incidence of ghost guns has either leveled off or dropped in key cities like New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, per court documents.

Nevertheless, gun rights organizations are contesting these regulations in court. The Supreme Court deliberated on the matter in October and seems poised to uphold the new rules, although a ruling has not yet been issued.

**Incidents Involving Ghost Guns**

According to Justice Department statistics, law enforcement agencies confiscated approximately 20,000 ghost guns in 2021, up from around 4,000 in 2018. Nonetheless, traditional firearms remain the most frequently used weapons in criminal activities.

Ghost guns gained significant media attention in 2013 when John Zawahri opened fire on Santa Monica College’s campus, resulting in six fatalities, including those of his father and brother. Zawahri had assembled an AR-15-style firearm after failing a background check at a gun shop, and he was ultimately killed by responding officers.

In 2017, a man who murdered his wife and four other victims in Northern California constructed his own weapon in order to evade a court injunction that barred him from firearm ownership. In 2019, a teenage student employed a homemade handgun to fatally shoot two peers and injure three others at a high school in suburban Los Angeles.

Earlier this year, a mass shooting involving an AR-15-style ghost gun resulted in five deaths in Philadelphia. Additionally, a ghost gun was implicated in a shooting that severely injured two kindergarten students at a small religious school in Northern California last week, according to reports from the police.