What to know about
'ghost guns,' the weapon allegedly tied to the CEO shooting
Luigi Mangione, 26, identified by police as a "strong person of interest," was found in possession of a "ghost gun capable of firing 9 mm rounds and equipped with a suppressor" during his arrest on weapons charges in Altoona, Pennsylvania, according to New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
What are ghost guns?
"Ghost guns" are firearms assembled at home using parts purchased online. These components are typically available without background checks and lack serial numbers.
Do-it-yourself firearm kits have been available since the 1990s, but their popularity has surged in recent years, particularly among criminals.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), law enforcement agencies reported recovering approximately 45,000 suspected privately made firearms during criminal investigations between January 2016 and December 2021. These included cases involving 692 homicides or attempted homicides.
The number of these so-called "ghost guns" recovered has climbed steadily each year, increasing from 1,758 in 2016 to 19,344 in 2021, as noted by the Justice Department.
Advancements in technology have contributed to this sharp rise. Online tutorials detailing how to assemble these firearms have garnered millions of views, and some vendors even provide 3D printing files, enabling individuals to produce and assemble untraceable weapons without serial numbers.
The Justice Department highlighted in a 2022 fact sheet that firearms without serial numbers are extremely challenging to trace. The ATF reported it successfully traced only 0.98% of the ghost guns submitted by law enforcement to their original purchasers.
What is the government
doing about the issue?
In 2022, President Joe Biden introduced restrictions on the sale of ghost guns, finalizing a rule that mandates gun kit manufacturers to include serial numbers on firearms. The rule also requires sellers to adhere to the same standards as for other firearms, including conducting background checks on buyers.
“These guns are the weapons of choice for many criminals,” Biden stated. “We are going to do everything we can to deprive them of that choice.”
Gun rights groups and manufacturers have challenged the rule in court. A federal judge in Texas and an appeals court ruled against the Biden administration, but the Supreme Court has twice allowed the regulations to remain in place while litigation proceeds.
Meanwhile, gun safety advocates are urging Congress to close loopholes by codifying the rule into law. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, over a dozen states have enacted their own laws regulating ghost guns.
Advocacy groups are also pressing Congress to address 3D-printed firearms, which saw regulations eased by the Trump administration in 2020. While no federal law specifically bans 3D-printed guns, the ATF states it is illegal to manufacture them for sale without proper licenses, and they must be detectable by metal detectors and X-ray machines. Several states have enacted individual laws to regulate or ban these weapons, according to Everytown.
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