The suspect in the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance division, was arrested Monday morning in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed the arrest during a press conference later that afternoon, identifying the suspect as Luigi Mangione. Mangione, who had been on the run since the shooting death of Thompson, was apprehended at a McDonald’s in Altoona after being recognized by an employee. The worker alerted authorities, leading to his capture.
Mangione is accused of murdering Thompson on Wednesday when he allegedly shot the CEO with a silenced handgun outside the entrance of the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
Police initially took Mangione into custody for presenting a fake ID. Following his arrest, the investigation was expanded to include charges related to Thompson’s murder.
According to authorities, around 6:44 a.m. that Wednesday, Mangione, wearing a black mask to conceal his face, shot Thompson outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown and fled the scene.
The NYPD had released CCTV footage of Mangione’s face and issued a wanted notice, but locating him proved difficult as he used fake IDs and other methods to avoid detection. However, just before 9:15 a.m. on the day of his arrest, a McDonald’s employee recognized Mangione and called the police.
At the time of his arrest, Mangione was reportedly carrying a silenced handgun, believed to be the weapon used in the crime. The handgun was later identified as a ghost gun, assembled from parts made with a 3D printer and lacking a serial number. This was confirmed by Joseph Kenny, head of the NYPD’s investigations unit.
In addition to the gun, Mangione was reportedly carrying a statement critiquing health insurance companies’ profit-driven practices.
According to The New York Times, Mangione had an impressive academic background. He graduated at the top of his class from a private high school in Baltimore. He later earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Police are investigating the possibility that the murder may be linked to insurance claims. Markings found on shell casings recovered from the crime scene included words like deny and defend, which are strategies commonly used by insurance companies to reject claims.
Brian Thompson had been with UnitedHealth Group for over 20 years, rising to CEO of the company’s health insurance division in 2021. On the day of his death, Thompson was on his way to attend the company’s annual investor event at the Hilton Hotel when he was shot and killed.