Police have named a person of interest in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, identifying the individual as Luigi Mangione, who was taken into custody at a McDonald’s on Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and is being held for questioning.
New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch made the announcement during a Dec. 9 press conference in New York City.
“Earlier this morning, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, members of the Altoona Police Department arrested Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old male, on firearms charges,” Tisch said.
Mangione has been identified as a person of interest in the “brazen, targeted” attack on Thompson, who was gunned down in Manhattan last week, Tisch added.
A McDonald’s employee recognized Mangione from police-issued photographs of a suspect in Thompson’s slaying and contacted the police.
“Responding officers questioned the suspect, who was acting suspiciously, and was carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport,” Tisch said, adding that police also recovered a firearm and a suppressor, both consistent with those used in Thompson’s murder.
Police also recovered a fraudulent New Jersey ID, matching the one the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel before the shooting.
Thompson was killed on Dec. 4 in what police said was a targeted attack as he walked alone to a hotel where UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, was holding its annual investor conference.
Tisch said earlier that the gunman appeared to have been lying in wait for up to half an hour before approaching Thompson from behind and shooting him several times with a handgun fitted with a suppressor. The suspect fled the scene quickly, leaving behind ammunition, found near the executive’s body, bearing the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose,” apparently in reference to a phrase used by critics of the health insurance industry.
After the shooting, the suspect fled on foot and then used a bicycle to travel through Central Park, according to NYPD detective Joseph Kenny. The suspect later walked several blocks, hailed a taxi, and was dropped off at the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, which offers bus services to New Jersey and Greyhound routes to cities such as Washington, Philadelphia, and Boston.
Police later released several photos of the suspect, including one showing him wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a blue medical-style mask commonly used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another photo showed the suspect with his mask off.
During Monday’s press conference, Tisch said that police also recovered a two-page document “that speaks to both his motivation and mindset.”
Tisch said that NYPD detectives were heading to Altoona to interview Mangione.
This article was originally published by The Epoch Times.
Tom Ozimek | The Epoch Times
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
