(Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Image)
The 26-year-old suspect arrested for killing United Healthcare’s CEO may have used a 3D-printed gun to carry out the shooting, according to investigators.
The suspect, Luigi Mangione, was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday in possession of a 3D-printed gun, which was inside his backpack, local police wrote in the criminal complaint.
"Officers located a black 3D-printed pistol and a black silencer," investigators said. "The pistol had a metal slide and a plastic handle with a metal threaded barrel. The pistol had one loaded Glock magazine with six nine-millimeter full metal jacket rounds. There was also one loose nine-millimeter hollow point round. The silencer was also 3D printed.”
Police also released a photo of the gun, which appears to be based on the Chairmanwon V1, a 3D-printed gun frame, according to 404 Media. “It appears to be the first high-profile case involving a 3D-printed gun, and it’s my guess that this will have a huge impact on DIY firearms regulations going forward,” one expert in the 3D-printing gun community told the publication.
The finding may prompt lawmakers to restrict 3D-printed firearms, also known as ghost guns, which first emerged about a decade ago. The files to 3D-print a Chairmanwon frame have been openly available on the internet, although building a gun often requires purchasing readily available metal parts to make it properly function.
While it’s easier for a person to buy a gun in the US than to spend hours 3D printing a functioning one, ghost guns have drawn scrutiny since they're untraceable and obtained without going through official suppliers. So far, 15 US states have adopted restrictions on ghost guns, which include labeling component parts with serial numbers and requiring buyers to go through background checks, according to Everytown, a gun safety group.
In 2022, the Justice Department announced rules that require retailers to “run background checks before selling kits that contain the parts necessary for someone to readily make a gun.” But pro-gun groups have challenged the rule change, which the US Supreme Court is reviewing.