What are ‘ghost guns’ and what is Canada doing about 3D-printed guns?

The man charged in connection to the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is believed to have 3D printed the gun he was allegedly found with, police said.

U.S. law enforcement have said the weapon found in the backpack of Luigi Mangione, who is charged in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, may have been a 3D-printed pistol — a type of nearly untraceable weapon that can be made at home.

This type of weapon is often known as a “ghost gun” and police on both sides of the border say they’re becoming a growing threat in communities.

According to the Canadian government, a “ghost gun” is a term used to describe a privately-manufactured firearm (PMF) with anonymous origins — and therefore untraceable.

In parliamentary committee notes prepared by Public Safety Canada in 2023, department officials said “ghost guns” are unmarked, often illegally manufactured or assembled from parts, and either don’t have serial numbers or other markings or such identification has been “obliterated.”

“That is why, elusive as they are and not known to law enforcement or the regulatory bodies that review firearm manufacturing, they become a ghost out on the street,” Supt. Marc Cochlin, CEO of Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT), told Global News.

“And that in itself is an attractive commodity for the criminal element out there.”

ALERT was part of a multi-provincial task force last year led by Quebec provincial police that conducted simultaneous raids across eight provinces targeting manufacturers of 3D-printed or “ghost guns.”

It led to the arrest of 45 people and seizure of 440 weapons, including some “ghost guns.”