Police in Pennsylvania have arrested a man in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, with officials saying Luigi Mangione is a “strong person of interest” in the case.
Thompson, 50, was killed last Wednesday in what police said was a “brazen and targeted” attack as he walked alone to the Hilton from a nearby hotel, where UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, was holding its annual investor conference.
The shooter appeared to “wait for several minutes” before approaching the CEO from behind and opening fire, according to police. He used a 9 mm pistol, which police said was similar to the rifles used by farmers to kill animals without making a loud noise.
Here’s what police have said so far about Mangione.
According to Joseph Kinney, chief of detectives for the New York Police Department, Luigi Mangione is a 26-year-old man born and raised in Maryland, with ties to San Francisco and Honolulu.
Police said they believe he may also have attended college in Pennsylvania.
The 26-year-old reportedly has no prior arrest history in New York, and before his name was revealed on Monday, he was not known to city police and his name had not been found in any other arrests in the United States.
Police found a three-page handwritten document, which they said “speaks about his motivations and mentality,” which is currently in the possession of the Altoona Police Department in Pennsylvania.
“From speaking briefly with them (Atoona police), we don’t believe there are any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document, but it does appear that he has some ill will toward American businesses here,” Kenney told reporters. Monday.
According to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, an employee at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, recognized the 26-year-old, who then called local police.
They then questioned Mangione, who was reportedly acting suspiciously and carrying several false IDs and a US passport.
Despite having a passport, Kenney said they did not believe the suspect was planning to undertake any travel or attempt to flee the country.
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One of the ID cards matched the ID used, Tesch said By a police officer described as a suspect last weekk to check out a hostel in Manhattan before the shooting.
Police then found a firearm on Mangione after further investigation, a ghost gun that can fire a 9mm round and may have been manufactured using a 3D printer, Kenney said.
A silencer, also known as a silencer, was also found, they said. Both the gun and suppressor were said to be identical to the weapon used in the shooting.
“Upon further investigation, officers found a firearm in his possession as well as a suppressor, both of which were consistent with the weapon used in the murder,” Tesch said. “They also recovered clothing, including the mask worn by the wanted person.”
In the days following the shooting, police turned to the public for help by releasing a collection of photos and videos — including footage of the attack, as well as photos of a man. The individual has been described by the NYPD as a person of interest At Starbucks beforehand.
According to Kenney, Mangione will face firearms charges in Altoona, but working with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, law enforcement will work to extradite the man to New York.
At this time, Kenney said Mangione is believed to have acted alone, but they are still working on their investigation.
On Friday, police found a backpack in the park, which they say the killer in the case discarded as he fled the crime scene to a bus station uptown, where they believe he left the city on a bus.
On Monday, K-9 units sniffed leaf-covered farms between walking paths in Central Park near where police found the shooter’s backpack.
Along the route where police suspect the shooter in the case took off through the park after the shooting, divers geared up and began searching the pond for the third day in a row.
Tracing the gunman’s steps using surveillance video, investigators say the shooter fled into Central Park on a bike, exited the park without his backpack and then ditched the bike.
He then walked a few blocks, took a taxi, and arrived at the George Washington Bridge bus station, which is near the northern tip of Manhattan and provides service to New Jersey and Greyhound to Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, Kenny said.
—With files from Sean Boynton of Global News and the Associated Press
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