Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today called on Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology Co., Ltd., the manufacturer of one of the most popular 3D-printers available for individual consumers, to adopt additional security measures to deter the spread of 3D-printed guns and gun parts. In a letter to Creality, D.A. Bragg called on the company to install in its printers an available 3D-printing software program which detects the shapes of common gun parts and blocks their printing. D.A. Bragg plans to send similar letters to other leading consumer brands in the coming weeks. 

The letter comes following yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding federal regulations requiring ghost gun parts to have serial numbers and compelling background checks for prospective buyers of ghost gun home-assembly kits. The Office filed an amicus brief in support of the federal regulations in July 2024. 

D.A. Bragg also called on the company to remove online blueprints, also known as CAD files, from its cloud platform. The blueprints can be used to print firearms and gun parts without a background check. D.A. Bragg also called on Creality to ban the creation of illicit weapons in its company’s user agreement. 

Creality printers have been seized by the D.A.’s Office and its law enforcement partners, including in recent cases, pursuant to search warrants. 

“We are calling on companies that sell 3D-printers to work with us to stem the flow of dangerous weapons into our communities by implementing targeted, commonsense fixes. Too often, gun violence tragically takes innocent lives and tears at the fabric of our communities. Over the past several years, the number of illegal, 3D-printed firearms and ghost guns has increased significantly. We have an aggressive and holistic approach to combatting gun violence alongside our law enforcement partners but we cannot do it alone. We are hopeful that we can partner with these companies and make a meaningful impact on public safety,” said District Attorney Bragg. 

The D.A.’s Office’s mission is to crack down on ghost guns and illegal firearms. Since its creation in 2020, in partnership with the NYPD, the Ghost Gun Initiative has garnered the knowledge and expertise to aggressively prosecute violent offenders, intercept the creation of illegal and 3D-printed guns to protect New Yorkers, and stay ahead of the curve on ghost guns.

Recent cases involving 3D-printed firearms include: 

•  Luigi Mangione, who allegedly used a 3D-printed ghost gun and silencer.
• Roberto Guerrero, who allegedly manufactured and possessed guns and parts inside his Harlem apartment.
• Christopher Fox, who was indicted for possessing equipment to assemble and manufacture 3D-printed weapons and gun parts in his Upper East Side apartment. 
• Cliffie Thomspon, who pleaded guilty to running a sophisticated ghost gun factory in his East Village apartment and possessing firearms, ammunition, 3D printers and ghost gun parts.   

Combatting gun violence is D.A. Bragg’s top priority. Between 2021 and 2024, homicides decreased 20% and shootings decreased 45% in Manhattan.

D.A. Bragg introduced legislation to close loopholes in New York’s gun laws that would make it a felony to manufacture 3D-printed and ghost guns and gun parts. It would also make it a misdemeanor to share, sell or distribute files containing blueprints for 3D-printed firearms components.  

The Office has similarly worked with and called on other platforms to address the proliferation of illegal firearms flowing into our city. In April 2024, D.A. Bragg called on YouTube to take additional steps to curb the spread of videos on its platforms that promote firearms content to young New Yorkers through its algorithm.  

In addition to proactive enforcement, the Office prioritizes community investments to prevent gun violence from occurring. D.A. Bragg announced the Office will invest up to $300,000 in community-based organizations to provide stipends for young New Yorkers, allowing them to earn money while participating in meaningful summer programs, such as youth-led community events, self-expression creative arts projects, and career readiness internships.  

Read the full letter sent to Creality here.

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