Caught In A McDonald’s! Healthcare CEO Suspected Killer Arrested!
What we’re covering
• JUST IN: Police are holding a suspect in custody in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, officials announced Monday.
• Luigi Mangione was arrested on a gun charge after being picked up while eating at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following an employee calling the cops, the NYPD chief of detectives said. The 26-year-old had multiple fake IDs and a gun with a suppressor, according to officials.
• He was also in possession of a document railing against the health care industry, a police official who has seen the document told CNN.
• A backpack believed to belong to the suspect in the killing was found in Central Park on Friday, a law enforcement official said. Inside, police found Monopoly money and a jacket, according to officials briefed on the matter.
NYPD and FBI have arrived in Altoona, Pennsylvania lawmaker says
The NYPD and FBI are now in Altoona, Pennsylvania, as investigators look to interview the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to Republican Rep. John Joyce of Pennsylvania.
“Just in the last 30 minutes, the FBI and the NYPD have arrived at the Altoona Police Department’s headquarters,” Joyce, who represents the Altoona area, told CNN’s Jake Tapper.
The suspect was arrested on gun charges at a McDonalds in the central Pennsylvania city after an employee recognized him and called police. The suspect would need to be extradited him to New York to face any charges there.
The Altoona area, Joyce said, has “great availability” to modes of transportation, including interstate highways, trains and bus routes. The suspect was believed to have left New York City on an interstate bus, police officials said last week, after video cameras captured him entering the George Washington Bridge Bus Station on 178th Street in upper Manhattan but not exiting.
Joyce praised the McDonald’s employee, calling their actions “very courageous.”
Head of private school where Mangione graduated from in 2016 calls news of arrest “deeply distressing”
The head of the private school where the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect graduated from sent an email to parents and members of the school community, calling the news “deeply distressing.”
“This is deeply distressing news on top of an already awful situation. Our hearts go out to everyone affected,” Gilman School Head of School Henry P.A. Smyth said in the email.
The Gilman School is a private school in Baltimore for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Smyth acknowledged Luigi Mangione graduated in 2016 but said the school has no other information other than what’s being reported in the news.
Suspect called infamous Unabomber a “political revolutionary”
A GoodReads profile that appears to belong to Luigi Mangione shows that earlier this year, Mangione reported having read the 1995 anti-technology manifesto written by the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, the infamous domestic terrorist and mathematician known for sending deadly bombs through the mail between 1978 and 1995.
In his review, he also wrote thoughts someone else had shared about the Unabomber in a Reddit thread online, quoting a commenter who had described Kaczynksi’s acts as “war and revolution,” saying that he “had the balls to recognize that peaceful protest has gotten us absolutely nowhere” and that “‘violence never solved anything” is a statement uttered by cowards and predators.”
Other books Mangione reported reading or wanting to read included a book about mental illness, a biography of the creator of the atomic bomb and Michael Pollan’s popular book on the science of psychedelics.
Also on GoodReads, he reported reading or wanting to read a number of books about coping with chronic back pain. An X account that appears to belong to him features a background profile photo of what looks like an X-ray image of a spine with hardware from a surgery.
Police are interviewing suspect in killing of health insurance CEO. Here’s what we learned
Police are questioning a man in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week in Manhattan.
NYPD officials on Monday identified the man as 26-year-old Luigi Mangione. He is under arrest on gun charges, police said.
Here’s what else we learned:
- How he was found: The suspect was “sitting there eating” at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, when an employee of the restaurant recognized him and called police, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. He credited the tip to the wide circulation of a photo the NYPD released last week of the person without a mask on.
- Remember: The suspect was believed to have left New York City on an interstate bus, police officials said last week, after video cameras captured him entering the George Washington Bridge Bus Station on 178th Street but not exiting it.
- More evidence: When he was searched by local police, the suspect was found carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, a US passport, a firearm and suppressor “consistent with the weapon used in the murder,” New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Kenny said the gun was a ghost gun “that had the capability of firing a 9mm round,” and it may have been 3D printed. Police also said one of the IDs was a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching the one the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel before the shooting.
- Recovered documents: A multi-page, handwritten document was also recovered from the suspect when he was arrested, according to Kenny. It seemed that the man “has some ill will towards corporate America,” Kenny said. In the document, the suspect rails against the health care industry and suggested that violence is the answer, a police official who has seen the document told CNN. Two quotes in the document include: “These parasites had it coming” and “I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done,” an official said.
- Other key details: Police believe the suspect acted alone and they don’t think he was trying to flee the country, Kenny said.
- What we know about the suspect: The man has had no prior arrests in New York, according to Kenny. He is 26 years old and was born in Maryland. His last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kenny said.
- How the investigation unfolded: Investigators deployed drones, K-9 units and even scuba divers during the search, Tisch said. In addition to combing through hours of video — which led to the photo of the suspect without a mask on — detectives also went door-to-door, she said, adding that tips led to the recovery of crucial evidence.
- What happens now: NYPD detectives are on their way to Pennsylvania, where they hope to interview the suspect further, Tisch said. The suspect would need to be extradited to New York to face any charges there.
Catch up on other key developments:
- A partial fingerprint and DNA recovered during the search have so far not yielded matches when compared against law enforcement databases, according to a law enforcement official. The fingerprint was recovered from a purported “burner phone” thought to belong to the suspect, and the DNA from a water bottle and energy bar wrapper the suspect is said to have bought.
- Police released more photos of the suspect over the weekend: in the backseat of a taxi and wearing a jacket while walking on the street. In both, he’s wearing a hood and a face mask.
- A backpack believed to be the suspect’s was recovered Friday in Central Park, a law enforcement source said. It contained money from the Monopoly board game, a law enforcement source told CNN, and a Tommy Hilfiger jacket, officials briefed on the matter said.
Former college classmate of Mangione says he was “a totally normal guy” in school
One former University of Pennsylvania classmate of Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man arrested in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, recalls him being a “totally normal guy.”
The former college classmate asked not to be named.
Private service for UnitedHealthcare CEO being held today, source says
A private memorial service for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is being held Monday, according to a person familiar with the plans.
The service comes five days after Thompson, who leaves behind a widow and two sons, was gunned down outside a midtown Manhattan hotel while on his way to attend his company’s annual investor conference.
NYPD officials on Monday identified the suspect in Thompson’s killing as 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who was arrested in Pennsylvania on gun charges after a McDonald’s employee saw him and called police.
How police will continue to try to tie evidence to man in custody
Now that police are holding a suspect in custody in connection to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, they will continue to try to tie him to recovered evidence, according to CNN security correspondent Josh Campbell.
When the man was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Monday morning, local police said he had a gun with a suppressor. He was arrested on charges relating to the gun, officials said.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny later said that gun was a “ghost gun” — meaning it is more difficult to tie to past crimes, according to Campbell. But, police will now test to see if the ballistics match the shell casings found at the scene of the shooting in Manhattan last week, he added.
Law enforcement, often with the help of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), capture the bullet that is fired and the casing that gets ejected, he said. They then “essentially take it under a microscope and actually look for those unique patterns whenever the shell casing makes contact with that gun,” according to Campbell.
If those ballistics match, Campbell said it could be “very strong evidence.”
Police have also tested a fingerprint recovered from a purported burner phone thought to have belonged to the suspect and DNA recovered from a water bottle and energy bar wrapper he is said to have bought — but so far, neither have turned up any matches.
“They’re going to take DNA swabs from him, even if they need a search warrant to get that and then compare that to DNA recovered here,” according to CNN chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller.
Parent company of UnitedHealthcare thanks authorities after arrest of CEO shooting suspect
UnitedHealth thanked law enforcement for apprehending the man suspected of shooting and killing CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan last week.
“Our hope is that today’s apprehension brings some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues, and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy,” a spokesperson for UnitedHealth Group said in a statement Tuesday.
UnitedHealth Group is the parent company of health insurance company UnitedHealthcare. The company is working with authorities on the ongoing investigation, the statement said.
“We thank law enforcement and will continue to work with them on this investigation. We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy as they mourn,” the statement added.
NYPD: Handwritten document recovered in arrest shows “ill will towards corporate America”
A multi-page, handwritten document was recovered from the person of interest arrested in the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Tuesday.
“We don’t think there’s any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document, but it does seem that he has some ill will towards corporate America,” Kenny said.
The document is currently in the possession of the Altoona Police Department, he noted.
Police recovered an enormous amount of evidence in the investigation, which is ongoing, Kenny said.
Man arrested in Pennsylvania had a ghost gun that may have been 3D printed, police say
The man arrested in Pennsylvania had a “ghost gun” when he was searched by local police at a McDonald’s, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
“He was in possession of a ghost gun that had the capability of firing a 9mm round and a suppressor,” he said.
Kenny added that the gun may have been 3D printed and that police will learn more details after ballistics testing.
Some context: Ghost guns are untraceable, self-assembled firearms, often put together with parts sold online, sometimes in as little as 30 minutes. The weapons, sometimes referred to by officials as “privately made firearms,” or PMFs, do not have serial numbers, making them all the more difficult to track and regulate.
Purchasing kits to build ghost guns online does not require a background check, so buyers can sidestep the typical requirements that might come with buying a firearm.
CNN’s Dakin Andone contributed reporting to this post.
“It had to be done,” says document found on person of interest
Among the lines in the two-page document found on “strong person of interest” Luigi Mangione are the following two quotes: “These parasites had it coming” and “I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done,” a police official who has seen the document told CNN.
In the note, Mangione says he acted alone and that he was self-funded.
The document railed against the health care industry and suggested violence is the answer, according to the official.
Authorities say they believe person of interest acted alone
Investigators believe Luigi Mangione, the person of interest in the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, acted alone.
“We believe at this point — our investigation is leaning toward he was acting alone,” said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said on Monday. He added that the investigation is ongoing.
Man was “sitting there eating” when McDonald’s employee called police, detective chief says
The person of interest in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO was “sitting there eating” at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, when an employee of the restaurant called police, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
Kenny credited the tip to the wide circulation of a photo the NYPD released last week of the person without a mask on.
“Luckily, a citizen in Pennsylvania recognized our subject and called local law enforcement,” he said.
Kenny said that “at this point in our investigation, we don’t think he was trying to flee the country.”
NYPD commissioner describes the 5-day manhunt following the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killing
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch credited investigators and the public after a person of interest was taken into custody in connection to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“For just over five days, our NYPD investigators combed through thousands of hours of video, followed up on hundreds of tips and processed every bit of forensic evidence — DNA, finger prints, IP addresses and so much more — to tighten the net,” Tisch said.
Investigators deployed drones, K-9 units and even scuba divers during the search, she said.
Detectives also went door-to-door “interviewing potential witnesses and doing the good old-fashioned police work that our investigators are famous for,” Tisch added.
A combination of old school detective work and new-age technology “is what led to this result today,” the commissioner said.
She also acknowledged the crucial role the media and public played in this case. Tips received led to the recovery of crucial evidence. “We should never underestimate the power of the public to be our eyes and our ears in these investigations,” Tisch said.
Person of interest had no prior arrests in New York, police say
The man who police in Pennsylvania were interviewing in connection to UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing had no prior arrests in New York, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
The person was arrested on gun charges earlier Monday at a McDonald’s after officials received a tip from an employee, a law enforcement official said.
In searching the man, they found a gun with a suppressor like the one used in the killing and multiple fake IDs, including one that the NYPD believes was used by the suspect in New York City, the officials say.
“Members of the NYPD detective bureau are currently traveling to Pennsylvania with members of the district attorney’s office to interview this subject,” Kenny said at a news conference.
He said the man is 26 years old and was born in Maryland. His last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kenny said.
NYPD commissioner names person of interest who was arrested
Altoona Police arrested 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, the person of interest in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a news conference Monday.
“At this time, he is believed to be our person of interest in the brazen, targeted murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, last Wednesday in midtown Manhattan,” Tisch said.
Mangione was arrested on firearms charges, Tisch said. NYPD detectives are on their way to Pennsylvania, where they hope to interview the suspect further, she noted.
Mangione was found carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, a US passport, a firearm and suppressor “consistent with the weapon used in the murder,” Tisch said.
Multiple sources briefed on the matter also told CNN the man being held in connection with the killing is Luigi Mangione.
Police have a “strong person of interest” in CEO’s killing, New York City mayor says
New York City police have “a strong person of interest” in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the city’s mayor said Monday.
Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference the person “matches the description of the identification.”
“He’s also in possession of several items that we believe will connect him to this incident,” Adams said.
NOW: New York City mayor and police officials hold news conference
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, along with police officials, is holding a news conference. They are expected to address the arrest of a man in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson.
Altoona police say officers arrested man matching description of shooter this morning
Altoona police arrested a man “matching the description of the United HealthCare CEO murder suspect” on Monday morning, according to a news release from the Altoona Police Department.
Altoona officers were dispatched to a McDonald’s restaurant at 9:14 a.m. ET, according to the news release.
The department is “cooperating with local, state, and federal agencies” and says more information will be released this evening.
Police found 2-page document railing against health care industry on man being questioned in CEO’s killing
The man who is being held in Pennsylvania was also in possession of a two-page document railing against the health care industry and suggesting that violence is the answer, a police official who has seen the document told CNN.
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