A concerning trend that took birth in 2017 is growing steadily today. It's the use of ghost guns or guns that lack serial numbers. These guns are behind major killings throughout the world, with the most recent one being the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Any unlicensed individual can purchase the controversial weapon, made using a 3D printer. The lack of serial numbers prevents law enforcement from tracking down the owners of these weapons. As a result, they roam freely!
What Makes Ghost Guns Untraceable?
Ghost guns are illegal weapons that anyone can assemble at home. This can be done by purchasing weapon parts kits online, which are manufactured via 3D printing. These guns are devoid of serial numbers. Any person can own them without a legal check, so law enforcement professionals cannot trace the identity of the gun owners.
In some cases, ghost guns are built fully from plastic, which prevents magnetometers from detecting them. The 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who killed Brian Thompson, had a semi-automatic pistol with a 3D-printed loaded receiver. It had a metal slide and silencer and could fire deadly 9mm rounds!
Since ghost guns are non-serialized firearms, absolutely anyone can acquire them easily. From juveniles and those with convictions to members of domestic terrorist groups, these undetectable guns have wide accessibility.
High-Profile Shootings Made Using Ghost Guns
Ghost guns have murdered many people since 2017. In 2017, Kevin Janson Neal, a 44-year-old, killed his wife and a couple of other people with high-powered ghost guns. In 2019, a student in California's Santa Clarita killed himself and his two others with a ghost gun that he assembled at home.
Tetsuya Yamagami used a 3D-printed gun three years later to kill Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. The number of these seized ghost guns made via 3D printing rose in number from 100 in 2019 to 637 in 2022. Many owners of these guns are still undetected by law enforcement.
What Is the Government Doing to Regulate the Use of Ghost Guns?
The legal landscape regarding ghost guns is widely varied. Canada has effectively banned them and made their possession illegal. The Biden administration passed a rule that required companies to treat weapon parts kits like traditional firearms by including serial numbers, ensuring background checks, and verifying the age of the buyers. They should be 21 years or older.
India has stern gun laws under the 1959 Arms Act. Still, ghost guns are a threat because of the growing accessibility of 3D printing. Additionally, there are no set rules regarding building a gun with weapon parts kits purchased online. Building 3D-printed weapons is illegal in Australia, while the UK government has explicitly banned 3D-printed guns due to the special challenges they pose.
Ghost guns are a serious threat that needs to be taken care of immediately. It's extremely easy to assemble them, so the lack of strict and specific regulations triggers their use. If this trend is unchecked, a huge increase in crimes, terrorism, and unethical activities is bound to happen.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
*The views expressed are personal to the author and do not reflect the platform's opinion of the same.
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Praggya Joshi is a seasoned content writer specializing in creative writing, long-form, and short-form social media content. She has worked in the B2B, SaaS, health, and IT spheres and carries a deep knowledge of building SEO-optimized and user-friendly content strategies. A poet at heart, she finds solace in weaving her thoughts and life experiences into free-flowing verses. Praggya is devoted to honing her craft and tries her best to move past her comfort zone and gain new skills.
