What is a ghost gun, the weapon allegedly used in the shooting of the New York CEO?

Investigators say the black handgun allegedly recovered from Luigi Mangione, the suspect arrested in connection with the killing of a health care executive, appeared to be a ghost gun – a firearm you assemble at home can.

Officials said the device may have been made using a 3D printer but would need to be tested by ballistics experts to confirm.

The assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has put a renewed spotlight on this controversial weapon, which has been called “the fastest-growing gun safety issue in the country” by advocacy groups.

Here’s what you should know about these firearms.

Ghost weapons are so called because they may be untraceable. They can be assembled at home either from scratch or from gun parts kits and are not marked with serial numbers.

The weapon that Mr. Mangione allegedly carried in his backpack appears to have been typical. The warrant described it as a “semi-automatic pistol with what appears to be a 3D printed loaded casing with a metal slide and silencer.”

Police said it was capable of firing 9mm cartridges and was the same type of weapon used in the fatal shooting of Mr. Thompson in New York the week before.

The Biden administration, which favors firearms regulation, has previously described ghost guns as being “ridiculously easy” to produce.

Until August 2023, anyone with internet access could legally purchase many of the parts needed to make a gun without a background check. Online tutorials explain how to assemble the parts into a fully functional firearm in under an hour.

Experts call ghost guns the country’s fastest-growing gun safety problem. They were increasingly used in high-profile shootings.

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), 20,000 suspected ghost guns were found by law enforcement during criminal investigations in 2022 – a tenfold increase from 2016.

Authorities say that without serial numbers on their frames, it is virtually impossible to track down dealers illegally selling these guns to minors or unlicensed people.

A former government official doubted whether Mr. Thompson’s killing would change people’s minds. “Ghost weapons are a new factor in a very complicated and violent country,” Juliette Kayyem told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

America would find it “very difficult” to restrict firearms, said Ms. Kayyem, a former deputy secretary for policy at the Department of Homeland Security.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a total of more than 48,000 people were killed by firearms in the United States in 2022.

The killing has prompted renewed scrutiny of ghost guns – which the Biden administration has sought to regulate by saying they should be treated the same as commercially available firearms.

Manufacturers of ghost gun kits are now required to display serial numbers on their products and conduct background checks on buyers.

In October, the U.S. Supreme Court signaled its willingness to uphold the law, which was challenged by gun rights groups on the grounds that authorities had overstepped the bounds of existing laws.

A ruling upholding the ATF’s new rule would mark a change for this Supreme Court, which has a conservative supermajority that is largely skeptical of gun regulations.

When it comes to guns in general, US President-elect Donald Trump has positioned himself as a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, which grants the right to bear arms. Earlier this year, he told the National Rifle Association (NRA) that he was the group’s best friend.