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The gun reportedly used in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson had at least some components that were 3D-printed, according to police investigators. These types of firearms are becoming more common, as Nir Kshetri explains. He studies and teaches about the social effects of digital technologies, including 3D printing.
As more criminals use these weapons, which can be difficult or impossible to connect with crimes or suspects, the laws and regulations about them are struggling to catch up, as Kshetri describes. Various countries have different sets of rules, and within the U.S., states differ from each other and from the federal government.
Kshetri details the situation, including the U.S. Supreme Court’s involvement in evaluating new regulations, and describes various efforts to manage the use and spread of 3D-printed firearms.
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Jeff Inglis
Politics + Society Editor
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A federal firearms official displays several guns that are either entirely or partially 3D-printed.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Nir Kshetri, University of North Carolina – Greensboro
The use of 3D-printed guns in criminal and violent activities is likely to continue to increase. And governments and police will continue to have trouble regulating them.
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