A man who police say is a person of interest in the killing of a United Healthcare executive in New York City was caught with a so-called “ghost gun” in Pennsylvania. The arrest happened on Monday at a McDonald’s in Altoona, and it has people talking about these untraceable weapons.
Luigi Mangione, the man arrested, also had fake ID cards, a pistol, and a silencer with him, according to the police. Here’s the twist: both the gun and the silencer looked like they were made with a 3D printer, as noted in a criminal complaint filed in Altoona.
The weapon, described as a pistol with a metal slide and plastic handle, was loaded with a Glock magazine and had six bullets left.
So, what’s a ghost gun? It’s a firearm that doesn’t have a serial number, which means it’s hard to trace. These guns are often made at home using DIY kits, which can be bought online without background checks and put together with basic tools. Critics are worried because they’re unregulated and easily accessible.
President Joe Biden has tried to address this issue. He announced a federal rule requiring companies that sell ghost gun kits to perform background checks and put serial numbers on the guns, just like traditional firearm manufacturers. However, the U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing that rule, and a decision could come this summer. If the court strikes it down, people will still be able to make ghost guns for personal use, as long as they don’t sell or give them away.
The number of ghost guns being recovered by law enforcement has skyrocketed. From 2017 to 2021, cases involving ghost guns submitted to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives jumped by more than 1,000%. Between 2020 and 2021 alone, that number more than doubled.
The idea that a ghost gun might have been used in this New York case has reignited the debate over these weapons. Gun control advocates argue they’re a serious problem. John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said, “Ghost guns are a criminal’s dream and a nightmare for law enforcement.” He added, “They look, shoot, and kill like any other gun, so they need to be regulated like regular guns.”
On the other side, gun rights groups say privately making firearms is a long-standing American tradition. They argue it’s a personal right that shouldn’t be restricted. Brandon Combs, president of the Firearms Policy Coalition, said, “Americans have been making their own guns since before this country was founded. Claiming this right isn’t protected by the Constitution is just absurd.”
The debate over ghost guns is clearly heating up, and this case has added more fuel to the fire. While gun control groups are pushing for tougher regulations, gun rights advocates are fighting to keep the status quo. For now, the future of ghost gun laws remains up in the air.
