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A five-day manhunt ended with the arrest of Luigi Mangione, 26, at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. The UnitedHealth murder suspect was linked to Brian Thompson’s targeted killing and found with a ghost gun, fake IDs, and a chilling manifesto.
UnitedHealth Executive Murder Suspect Arrested After Five-Day Manhunt
According to Reuters, New York City officials said on Monday that after a five-day manhunt, they had apprehended the culprit in the heinous shooting death of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel last week.
Officials announced at a news conference that 26-year-old suspect Luigi Mangione was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a McDonald's employee saw him eating there and thought he looked like the gunman.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that Mangione was found using a "ghost gun"—a pistol built from pieces that makes it untraceable—and a silencer that matches the weapon used to shoot Thompson. The suspect was also found wearing clothing and a mask that matched the killer's attire. Chief of detectives for the New York Police Department Joseph Kenny speculated that a 3D printer could have manufactured the spectral weapon.
Ghost Gun and Fake IDs Uncovered in Suspect’s Possession
A phony New Jersey ID that Mangione possessed was identical to the one the shooter used to check into a Manhattan hostel a few days prior to the incident, according to authorities.
The handwritten document that was discovered by the police provides insight into "both his motivation and his mindset," according to Tisch. Mangione had "ill will toward corporate America," Kenny said, even though the paper didn't name any particular targets.
According to authorities, Mangione spent his formative years in Maryland, went to university in Pennsylvania, maintained connections to San Francisco, and most recently resided in Honolulu.
Surveillance Footage Tracks Suspect’s Escape Route
The Altoona police took him into custody on weapons charges, and according to Tisch, detectives from New York are en route to Pennsylvania to question him. He will eventually face murder charges after being extradited to New York.
A masked assailant seemed to wait for 50-year-old Thompson to arrive at a Manhattan hotel before opening fire on the businessman from behind early on Wednesday morning.
The criminal took flight, pedaling his way into Central Park. After leaving the park, he got into a cab and went to a bus stop in northern Manhattan, according to surveillance footage. From there, investigators think he got on a bus and left the city.
Clues from Shot Casings Suggest Corporate Targeting
According to the police, Thompson seems to be intentionally targeted.
According to multiple news outlets, the phrase "deny," "defend," and "depose" were etched into shot casings discovered at the location. These lines bring to mind the title of a 2010 book that was critical of the insurance industry: "Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It."
Per what seems to be Mangione's Facebook page, he was a Penn alum and a lifelong resident of Towson, Maryland. It seems like Mangione is seen at Stanford University sporting apparel with the Stanford logo, Investing.com shares.
Thompson’s Death Sparks Outrage Over Rising Health Costs
According to an X account that seems to belong to Mangione, he resides in Honolulu, Hawaii, and holds a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania.
According to recent statistics, there has been an uptick in the number of Americans experiencing health insurance denials, unexpected charges, and higher premiums and medical care costs, all of which have contributed to the outpouring of fury following Thompson's death.
After 20 years at UnitedHealth Group, the father of two Thompson was named CEO of the insurance division in April 2021. He was in the Big Apple for the annual investor meeting of the company.
