'Ghost gun' tied to NYC murder of health care CEO adds fuel to debate on homemade guns

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

Published 4:54 p.m. ET Dec. 9, 2024 | Updated 8:28 p.m. ET Dec. 9, 2024


The man police identified as a person of interest in the killing of a United Health Care executive in New York City had a so-called 'ghost gun' when he was arrested in Pennsylvania Monday, according to Joseph Kenny, the chief of detectives for the New York police.

Along with fake identification cards, police seized a firearm and silencer when they detained Luigi Mangione at a McDonalds in Altoona, Penn. Both appeared to be made with a 3-D printer, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday in Altoona. Police say they recovered the pistol with a metal slide and plastic handle. The pistol had a loaded Glock magazine and six rounds remaining.

The term 'ghost gun' refers to unserialized firearms that are manufactured at home with do-it-yourself kits. Critics of the firearms say the concern is they are not traceable like traditional firearms with serial numbers. They can also be cheaply purchased online without a background check and assembled with minimal tools.

President Joe Biden announced a federal rule to require manufacturers of the kits to perform background checks and mark the weapons with serial numbers – the same requirement of standard gun producers. The U.S. Supreme Court held arguments in October about the regulation that could be struck down this summer. The ruling would not impact the legality of “privately made firearms” by individuals, which is legal for personal use as long as it’s not sold or transferred.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/12/09/ghost-gun-ceo-murder-arrest/76867066007/

[Probatim]

1. Ghost guns to murder cops or kids - meh...

Ghost guns to murder executives - we need to act now!

[newdeal2]

5. The last paragraph posted shows Joe tried to do something earlier

Our wonderful courts will get to decide of course. I’m not optimistic but maybe this event will waken them up a bit.

[tanyev]

2. "legal for personal use as long as it's not sold or transferred"

And if the overwhelming majority of that “personal use” is for something illegal?

I’m having a hard time coming up with legal personal uses for an untraceable gun.

[Marthe48]

4. Great gag for parties

>sarcasm<

[bluedigger]

3. The whole point is for the ghost gun to be untracable.

Sort of defeats the purpose when you continue to carry it after the crime.

[LiberalArkie]

10. Yep. Build, Test, Shoot. Wipe it down with alcohol and dispose of..

You do not keep it with you.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Reports, like this one, seem to be avoiding stating if this was the gun used in the killing

I can't work out if that's because the police haven't done tests yet, or haven't told people, or it's to avoid prejudicing a trial (unlikely, given the way most US crime stories are written), or what.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. The issue at the moment is we are currently dealing with 2 different states

with 2 different sets of laws.

Since he was apprehended here in PA on some somewhat unrelated-to-the-killing charges they have had to process those before eventually extraditing him to NY (with the items they confiscated from him here), so the investigation can continue where the main crime occurred, and where the OTHER evidence exists to corroborate with what was found in PA.

They reported here that they had retrieved the fake ID, a silencer-type device, as well as what is suspected to be the weapon, plus some printed "manifesto" etc. All of that gets moved to NY and since we are now talking "interstate commerce", that means the feds in offices across at least 2 states will necessarily need to be further involved (ATF/FBI, etc).

[Stargazer99]

7. Ghost guns brought to you by the Republican party-aren't you proud Republican enablers of killers

[Firestorm49]

9. A debate about home made guns? Good one. I needed a good laugh.

[republianmushroom]

11. Ghost gun will never be completely stopped from being made.

[NickB79]

12. With the advent of 3D printers, this is unstoppable

I can get a 3D printer for under $500 now, and could use it to make a workable gun using files online. A few metal pieces and springs from a hardware store and a box of ammo and you're in business.