A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last week.
Luigi Mangione was arrested on Monday at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 280 miles (450km) west of New York City, after a customer recognized him.
An Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland family, Mangione was found in possession of a firearm and a handwritten document that allegedly detailed his “motivation and mindset,” according to authorities.
Mangione appeared in a Pennsylvania court, where he was arraigned on five initial charges, including possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery, and providing false identification to the police, and was denied bail.
Hours later, New York investigators charged Mangione with murder and four additional charges, including firearms-related offenses.
Thompson, 50, was fatally shot in the back last Wednesday outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where UnitedHealthcare was hosting an investors’ meeting. Authorities believe he was targeted in a premeditated attack.
Mangione is currently in custody in Pennsylvania, where he faces charges related to the firearm and other offenses. During his court appearance, he was handcuffed at both wrists and ankles. Wearing jeans and a dark blue jersey, Mangione appeared calm, occasionally glancing around at the media and others present.
The shooting prompted a large manhunt, with investigators in New York City utilizing one of the world’s largest digital surveillance systems, as well as police dogs, drones, and divers searching Central Park Lake. Investigators said they were surprised to discover Mangione’s identity, as his name had not been on their list of suspects before Monday.
It was ultimately a McDonald’s customer in Altoona who recognized the suspect from media coverage and alerted an employee, who then tipped off the police.
When police arrived, Mr. Mangione showed them a fake New Jersey dlicenseewith the name Mark Rosario, said court papers.
He “became quiet and started to shake” when an officer asked if he had been to New York recently, the criminal complaint adds.
When he was told he would be arrested if he lied about his name, he gave his real name, according to the court papers.
Asked why he lied, he told officers that “I clearly shouldn’t have”.
A search of Luigi Mangione’s backpack revealed what police described as a “ghost gun,” potentially 3D-printed, along with a loaded magazine containing six rounds of 9mm ammunition. Prosecutors also noted he was carrying a U.S. passport and $10,000 in cash, including $2,000 in foreign currency, although Mangione contested the amount in court.
Authorities found a three-page handwritten document in his possession that indicated he harbored “ill will towards corporate America.” Investigators also discovered shell casings at the scene of Brian Thompson’s murder, with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” written on them. Officials believe these words could reference the so-called “three Ds of insurance,” a tactic used by insurance companies to deny claims and avoid paying patients under America’s complex healthcare system.
Earlier, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that the weapon and suppressor recovered from Mangione were consistent with the weapon used in Thompson’s murder.
Mangione is now facing the choice of waiving his extradition to New York or contesting it. If he waives extradition, he will be handed over to New York authorities immediately; if he contests it, the process could take 30 to 45 days.
Mangione’s family expressed shock and devastation over his arrest.
“We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved,” said their statement, which was posted on social media late on Monday by the defendant’s cousin, Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione.
As a teenager, Mr Mangione attended a private all-boys school in Maryland, where he was class valedictorian, a title usually awarded to students with the best grades.
He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League college.
His LinkedIn account says he worked as a data engineer in California. TrueCar, a website for car buyers, confirmed that he had been employed there but left in 2023.
Mr Mangione’s last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Several posts to an account on X, formerly Twitter, that appeared to belong to Mr. Mangione suggested that friends had been trying to reach him, with one person posting in October that “nobody has heard from you in months”.