Police have identified 26-year-old Luigi Mangione as a person of interest in the deadly shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week. Mangione was taken into custody Monday morning in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 280 miles from New York City, after police received a tip.
Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s around 9 a.m. by Altoona police on firearm charges. Authorities said he was found with a gun, silencer, false identification cards, and a handwritten manifesto criticizing healthcare companies. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that Mangione is believed to be their person of interest but noted he has not been officially charged in the shooting or named as a suspect.
Mangione, a Maryland native with a last known address in Honolulu, Hawaii, has no prior arrest record in New York. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione was in possession of a 9mm “ghost gun,” potentially made using a 3-D printer, capable of firing rounds like those used in the murder. Bullet casings found at the crime scene bore the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose.”
Thompson, 56, was shot in the back and calf on Dec. 4 outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on his way to an investor meeting. The shooter reportedly fled the scene, discarding a backpack in Central Park that was later recovered by police. DNA evidence, including a water bottle and protein bar wrapper, has been collected.
The FBI, now assisting in the investigation, is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the gunman’s arrest. Police believe Mangione left New York City by bus on the day of the shooting.
While Mangione’s handwritten manifesto reportedly expressed hostility toward corporate America, Chief Kenny stated there were no indications of additional threats. Commissioner Tisch emphasized the importance of the photo released to the public in locating Mangione.
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