A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last week.
Luigi Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 280 miles (450 kilometers) west of New York City, on Monday after a customer at the fast-food restaurant recognized him. ta.
An Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland family, he was found in possession of a gun and a handwritten document revealing “motives and thoughts,” according to police.
Mr. Mangione then appeared in a Pennsylvania court to be arraigned on the five original charges and was denied bail.
Just hours later, investigators in New York charged Mr. Mangione with murder and four other crimes, including firearms offences.
Mr. Thompson, 50, was shot dead in the back last Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where UnitedHealthcare, the health insurance giant he led, was holding a meeting with investors.
Police said he was targeted in a pre-planned murder.
Mr. Mangione is in prison in Pennsylvania, where he has been formally charged with possession of a gun without a license, counterfeiting and providing false identification to police.
He was handcuffed at the wrists and ankles when he appeared in court there on Monday.
Wearing jeans and a dark blue shirt, Mr. Mangione appeared calm throughout the hearing, occasionally looking around at those present, including the media.
Last week’s shooting sparked a massive manhunt, with investigators in New York City using one of the world’s largest digital surveillance systems as well as police dogs and airplanes. drones and divers in Central Park lake looking for attackers.
Investigators revealed that finding Mr Mangione was a complete surprise as they did not have his name on the list of suspects before Monday.
Ultimately, a McDonald’s customer in Altoona recognized the suspect in the media and alerted an employee, who then notified police.
When police arrived, Mr. Mangione showed them a fake New Jersey driver’s license in the name of Mark Rosario, court records said.
He “became silent and began shaking” when an officer asked if he had been to New York recently, the criminal complaint added.
According to court papers, when told he would be arrested if he lied about his name, he gave his real name.
When asked why he lied, he told officers “Obviously I shouldn’t have done that”.
A search of his backpack turned up what police called a “ghost gun” – possibly 3D printed – and a loaded magazine with six rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Prosecutors said Mr. Mangione also carried a U.S. passport and $10,000 in cash, of which $2,000 was foreign currency, although Mr. Mangione disputed the amount in court.
A three-page handwritten document found in his possession showed he had “malice toward American companies,” officials said.
Investigators said the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were written on bullet casings found at the scene of Mr. Thompson’s murder.
Officials believe this may be a reference to what critics call the “three Ds of insurance” – tactics used by insurance companies to deny patient claims in America’s complex health care system.
Earlier in the day, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the weapons and suppression equipment investigators seized from the suspect were “both consistent with the weapons used in the murder” of Mr. Thompson.
Mr. Mangione is now expected to be given the option of waiving extradition to New York state or opposing extradition.
If he gives it up, he will immediately be turned over to the New York authorities. If he objects, the process could take 30 to 45 days.
Mr Mangione’s family said they were “shocked and devastated” by his arrest.
Their statement posted on social media late Monday by the defendant’s cousin, Maryland state lawmaker Nino Mangione, said: “We pray for Brian Thompson’s family and we ask that everyone who prays for all those involved.”
As a teenager, Mr. Mangione attended a private all-boys school in Maryland, where he was class valedictorian, a title typically given to students with the highest scores.
He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League college.
His LinkedIn account says he works as a data engineer in California. TrueCar, a website for car buyers, confirmed that he once worked there but left in 2023.
Mr. Mangione’s last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Several posts on the X account, formerly Twitter, that appeared to belong to Mr. Mangione showed friends had tried to contact him, and one person posted in October that “no one has heard from him for many months”.
