When Luigi Mangione was arrested at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pa., in the December 4 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, he had in his possession a black handgun and a black silencer. Those might not have been extraordinary findings for a suspected assassin—except for the fact that his gun and silencer weren’t bought at a store or a gun show, with serial numbers that could be easily traced by authorities. They were manufactured by a 3D printer, meaning they had no serial numbers and were completely untraceable. And while that might once have seemed a remarkable technological achievement, those days are gone.
“This is old news, 3D printed guns. This has been known for 8 to 10 years, this is not new or revolutionary, but it’s sensational because of the victim in this case.”
Stephen Chomyszak, a professor of the practice of mechanical engineering at the College of Engineering and director of BU’s 15,000-square-foot Engineering Product Innovation Center (EPIC), home to 25 3D printers.