Author: Nir Kshetri, Professor of Management, University of North Carolina – Greensboro

TECH

3D-printed guns, like the one allegedly used to kill a health care CEO, are a growing threat in the US and around the world

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Police investigating the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024, have announced that the suspected assailant had used a 3D-printed gun. Several high-profile crimes in recent years have involved this kind of homemade, or partially homemade, weapon. Often called “ghost guns” because they can be hard to trace, these firearms can be either partially or completely made with components that have been produced in metal or plastic on commercially available 3D printers. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering the legality of current federal restrictions on these firearms. The first known criminal case involving a 3D-printed gun resulted…

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