CEO 'Killer' Luigi Mangione's 'Ghost Gun' is Fueling Fears 3D-Printed Weapons are Turning U.S. into 'Wild West'

Luigi Mangione's choice of weapon for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is sparking fears America could turn into an even more violent place.

The 26-year-old is accused of using a "Ghost Gun", a potentially untraceable weapon that can be assembled at home from scratch or through weapon parts kits, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

Earlier this week, Mangione was busted in an Altoona, Pennsylvania McDonald's with a backpack that stored a "ghost gun" and silencer. According to police, both the weapon and silencer were made using a 3D printer plus readily available metal parts, leading to fears these type of "homemade" weapons will be used more often in crimes.

David Pucino, legal director at the gun violence prevention group Giffords Law Center stated: "It was only a matter of time before one of these was used in a high-profile shooting."

Suspect Mangione's decision to use a "ghost gun" is just the latest example of a growing trend as arrests related to 3D-printed guns have tripled in recent years according to experts, ex-police officers, and the White House.

In 2022, federal officials recovered more than 25,000 homemade guns.

In September, President Joe Biden established an Emerging Firearms Threats Task Force with an executive order, aiming to fight back against unregistered 3D-printed guns.

Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Felipe Rodriguez, told USA Today: "It’s the scariest thing I’ve ever seen. Now you're creating monsters basically in the dark . . . You're creating these machines out of nowhere that are causing death.”

Rodriguez, a retired detective sergeant, added: "NYPD has been proactive but how do you stop people using a 3D printer? It really has changed a lot when it comes to firearms.

"I’m at the point that I don't know what [criminals are] going to create next. Are we going to see some plastic grenades?”

Guns similar to the ones Mangione is suspected of using in the crime are relatively cheap, with one site selling a 3D printer starter kit for around $300. This includes the blueprints for a .22 caliber pistol and filament - the material the printer uses.

It’s unclear if the Ivy league graduate - who has been charged with second degree murder - printed or assembled the gun himself or if it was obtained it from a third party.

Mangione is accused of shooting CEO Thompson, 50, outside of the Hilton Hotel in New York City the morning of Wednesday, December 4. He was able to evade capture for days, as CCTV footage caught him fleeing the scene on a bike to Central Park before cameras spotted him taking a taxi to a bus station.

Upon being arrested, Mangione had a bag of suspected evidence with him including several fake IDs, the "ghost gun" and a silencer. He is also said to have had a handwritten "manifesto" detailing his grievances against healthcare insurance companies.

The manifesto reportedly stated: "It had to be done. These parasites had it coming. I don't want to cause any trauma, but it had to be done."

A notebook found with the suspect reportedly included a page referencing a plot to take out Thompson using a bomb, but Mangione aborted the plan because it "could kill innocents".

Mangione struggled with police as he arrived at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, for an extradition hearing.

Hi attorney, Thomas Dickey, expects Magione to plead not guilty.