**Scots Teen Uses 3D Printer to Assemble Deadly Assault Gun at Home**
A 19-year-old teenager from Scotland has been sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid work after he used a 3D printer to assemble a deadly assault gun in his bedroom, located in the house he shares with his parents. James Maris was found with the homemade semi-automatic weapon during a police search of the house in Rannoch, Perthshire, back in May 2023.
Maris pleaded guilty to four firearms offences at the High Court in Edinburgh, where he was ordered to undergo a community payback order for three years. The police discovered ammunition suitable for the gun, known as an FGC-9, during the search. The components of the 3D-printed firearm were found in Maris’s bedroom, including crucial pieces like the hammer, magazine, catch, trigger, safety, grip, and buffer assembly, which he had purchased online to construct the semi-automatic rifle.
The teenager admitted to law enforcement that he had a strong interest in firearms and had bought the 3D gun parts through his laptop. Aside from the 3D printer, the police also found tools and materials that could be utilised in producing 3D-printed firearms in Maris’s possession. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) displayed images of the illegal gun and a wall cabinet in his bedroom containing ammunition and firearm parts, emphasising the danger posed by 3D-printed firearms.
Moira Orr from the COPFS highlighted the severity of Maris’s crime and stressed the commitment to prosecuting individuals involved in the assembly of 3D-printed weapons. The COPFS, along with the police and other agencies, aims to detect such criminal activities and bring the responsible parties to justice with all resources available.
In conclusion, the case of James Maris sheds light on the alarming trend of individuals manufacturing firearms using advanced technology like 3D printing. The incident serves as a reminder of the need for stringent measures to combat such dangerous activities and protect the community from the risks posed by homemade weapons.