Police said Luigi Mangione used a type of homemade weapon, called a ghost gun, in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Authorities talk about the prevalence of ghost guns in Connecticut.
Lawmakers and law enforcement officials are renewing their calls for a ban on ghost guns after police in New York City said one was used in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson.
“This is exactly why Connecticut was one of the first states in the country to pass a ban on ghost guns. This is what we are afraid of -- nnregistered, un-serialized guns in the hands of people who shouldn't have them,” said Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.
Ghost guns are untraceable, homemade firearms and have quickly become a criminal’s weapon of choice. According to the U.S. Justice Department, police recovered more than 1,700 ghost guns in 2016, and by 2021, that number jumped to nearly 20,000.
“They are by definition crime guns,” Tong added. “Anytime we see them, it's because somebody used them hurt somebody.”
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New Haven police said they’re finding fewer ghost guns on the streets. Chief Karl Jacobson credits state and federal laws.
“Ghost guns peaked back in 2022 where we seized 47 off the street, where years before we barely had any. The year after in 2023, we seized 31. This year, we’re down to 18,” Jacobson said. “State law requires you to have serial numbers on your gun parts and for them to be able to be identified which is big, it helps us. Then there’s the cutback – before, people were able to just order the parts online, pick them up at their house, and if they had a certain tool, they were able to make the gun. Now it’s much harder.”
He said he’d still like to see it made harder for criminals to get their hands on the parts.
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“We need to make it harder to get the elements,” the chief added. “We need to make it against the law to have one without the serial numbers, which it is most places, but we need to cut the ability to produce them. There’s a lot of guns on the street, and this just adds more guns that are harder to identify, so we really need to do more to get rid of them.”
Back in July, Tong joined a group of 24 attorneys general who urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold federal ghost gun regulations. He said he’s led four lawsuits against ghost gun manufacturers that resulted in two going out of business.
The Biden Administration has also pushed to regulate ghost gun kits just as regular firearms are. The Supreme Court heard arguments on the matter in October and will issue a decision in the future.
“People need to get serious, not just states like Connecticut and New Jersey, but every state needs to get serious about going after ghost gun manufacturers who sell these kits over the Internet and shutting them down,” Tong added.
