Authorities in New York have apprehended the man believed to be responsible for the murder of UnitedHealth Chief Executive Brian Thompson last week.
The suspect, named Luigi Mangione, was taken into custody in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Someone at a McDonald’s recognized him as resembling the gunman, according to details shared at a news conference by officials.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that the 26-year-old was discovered with a firearm and silencer that matched the weapon used in Mr. Thompson’s shooting, as well as clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the assailant.
Additionally, he possessed several fraudulent identification documents, including a counterfeit New Jersey ID that corresponded with the one the suspect used to check into a Manhattan hostel shortly before the incident.
Authorities also recovered a handwritten note that addresses “both his motivation and his mindset,” according to Ms. Tisch.
Altoona police have charged the suspect with firearms violations, and detectives from New York are en route to Pennsylvania to interrogate him, she added.
Police have indicated that Brian Thompson was likely a specific target
Mr. Thompson, 50, was shot and killed outside a hotel last Wednesday by a masked assailant who seemed to have waited for him before ambushing him from behind.
While the police have not released any details regarding a motive, they assert that he appeared to be intentionally targeted.
Reports from multiple news outlets indicated that the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” were inscribed on shell casings found at the crime scene.
These terms bring to mind the title of a 2010 book critical of the insurance industry, “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.”
A police search conducted in Central Park as part of the investigation
The suspect fled the crime scene and pedaled a bike into Central Park.
Surveillance footage captured him leaving the park and taking a taxi to a bus station in northern Manhattan, where authorities believe he boarded a bus to escape the city.
Mr. Thompson, a father of two, had served as the CEO of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance segment since April 2021, part of his 20-year tenure with the organization.
He was in New York to participate in the company’s annual investor conference.
A spokesperson for UnitedHealth declined to comment on the recent developments.
