Luigi Mangione arrives at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.
NBC News
A 26-year-old man identified as a “person of interest” in the New York killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was arraigned Wednesday night on gun and forgery charges in a Pennsylvania court and his bail denied. .
Luigi Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate, was confronted by police at a McDonald’s on Wednesday morning after they discovered a pistol, a silencer, seven rounds of 9mm full metal jacket ammunition, multiple fake IDs and a U.S. passport in his backpack. , was taken into custody by Altoona police, authorities said.
The gun and silencer were 3D printed, according to the criminal complaint against Mangione. Mr. Mangione is part of a prominent Baltimore family that owns country clubs, nursing homes and radio stations.
Altoona patrolman Tyler Frye said he and his partner “didn’t think twice” about recognizing Mangione at McDonald’s from a photo distributed by New York police of a person of interest in Thompson’s murder. he said. “We knew it was our guy.”
Private screenshot of person of interest in United Healthcare CEO murder.
Source: New York City Police Department
The gun is “matched” to the silenced pistol used by a masked man to shoot and kill Thompson outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning. The 50-year-old father of two was heading there to attend a rally. Investor meeting by his company’s parent company; united health groupThe New York Police Department said.
Mr. Thompson’s company is the largest private health insurance provider in the United States, with sales of $281 billion and profits of $16.4 billion in 2023.
“At this time, [Mangione] “He is believed to be the person of interest in the brazen targeted murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson,” New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters at a press conference in Manhattan on Wednesday afternoon.
Mr. Mangione reportedly suffered from chronic back pain, and a senior NYPD official said he was in possession of handwritten documents suggesting he had “some nefarious intentions toward corporate America.” .
According to a report by NBC News, law enforcement officials said the manifesto references the medical industry and also mentions evasion.
Until Mr. Mangione’s arrest in Altoona, the NYPD did not know the identity of the person of interest the department was searching for in connection with Mr. Thompson’s murder, officials said.
Officials said it was up to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to decide whether and what charges Mr. Mangione would face in connection with Mr. Thompson’s murder.
Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks, who is prosecuting Mangione on gun and forgery charges, said he expected Mangione to be charged with murder “in the near future.”
“Unfortunately, we cannot comment on reports regarding Luigi Mangione,” Mangione’s family said in a statement.
“We only know what we read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. Our prayers go out to Brian Thompson’s family and for everyone involved. We call on people to pray for this,” the statement said. “We are shocked by this news.”
The statement was issued by Nino Mangione, Mangione’s cousin and a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Mangione had been traveling in recent days between Philadelphia, where he attended college, and Pittsburgh, “with a stop here in Altoona during that time.”
Mangione, a native of Towson, Md., had recently lived in Honolulu, but police called him at a McDonald’s in Altoona at 9:14 a.m. ET after an employee reported a customer was acting suspiciously. received.
Nearly 1,000 miles away, Thompson’s family was preparing to hold a private funeral in Minnesota the same day.
An employee was found in possession of documents related to the murder of a United Healthcare CEO in Manhattan on Monday, December 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pennsylvania. notified the authorities.
Gene J. Pusker | AP
When police arrived at the McDonald’s, they found Mangione wearing a mask and sitting at a table in the back of the restaurant, holding a silver laptop and a backpack on the floor near the table.
According to Mr. A, the police officer “asked the man to lower his medical mask so he could see his face.” Criminal charges.
“The man gathered his mask and pulled it down; his aides and co-aides immediately recognized him as the suspect.” [the] “The incident occurred in New York City after seeing a photo of him published by a media source,” the complaint states.
The officers then asked for identification, and Mangione handed over a New Jersey driver’s license with the name of 26-year-old Mark Rosario on it, according to the complaint.
That’s the same name as the fake New Jersey ID a man used to check into a Manhattan hostel more than a week before Thompson’s murder.
One Altoona police officer asked Mangione if he had been to New York recently and the man had become quiet and started shaking, according to the complaint.
Other police arrived at the McDonald’s and Mangione gave his real name because his identification did not match a known driver’s license.
The agency asked Mangione, “Why did you lie?” [about] When asked for his name, the defendant replied, ‘Obviously I shouldn’t have done that,”’ according to the complaint.
Mr. Mangione was subsequently arrested on charges of forgery and providing false identification to law enforcement.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (left) and dignitary Luigi Mangione (right).
Source: UnitedHealthcare (L) | New York City Police Department (R)
Police found a gun, silencer and bullets in the man’s backpack, according to the complaint.
In addition to the original charges, he was later charged with other charges, including possession of a prohibited firearm without a permit, and falsification of records and identification documents.
Several hours later, NYPD investigators arrived in Altoona, located in central Pennsylvania about 160 miles east of Pittsburgh.
Mangione did not enter a plea during his arraignment Monday night in Blair County Court in Hollidaysburg.
A gun belonging to a person of interest was found in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Source: Altoona PD
Investigators are wondering whether Mangione posted an X-ray of his back with a screw in the photo he posted on his social media profile on his “X” account, and whether it belonged to Mangione or a relative. , is also investigating a connection to the shooting. Two law enforcement officials spoke to NBC News about Thompson.
Mr. Mangione received a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering, Computer and Information Science and a Master of Science degree in that field from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020.
A copy of the fake New Jersey ID found on the subject.
Source: Altun PD
Before attending the University of Pennsylvania, he graduated from the Gilman School, an all-boys school in Baltimore, where he was valedictorian, according to his LinkedIn profile.
A Stanford University spokesperson said a person by Mangione’s name was hired in 2019 as the lead advisor for the university’s pre-college research program. Mangione is known for his ties to San Francisco, which is located about 55 miles north of Stanford University’s campus.
An undated still image of a person wanted in connection with the investigation into the shooting death of UnitedHealth insurance CEO Brian Thompson appears in an undated still image from surveillance video taken inside a New York City cab released on December 8th. It’s reflected. , 2024.
NYPD News | Via Reuters
“We hope today’s concerns bring some comfort to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy,” UnitedHealth Group said in a statement Monday. ” he said.
“We are grateful to law enforcement and will continue to cooperate with the investigation,” the company said in a statement. “We ask that you respect the family’s privacy during this time of mourning.”
Investigators are looking into how Mangione traveled to Altoona.
Police previously said the gunman who shot Thompson fled the scene on a bicycle and rode into nearby Central Park.
A New York City police officer walks through brush and foliage in Central Park near 64th Street and Central Park West on December 6, 2024 in New York City. Police search for backpack believed to have been dropped in park by UnitedHealthcare murder suspect Dec. 4, 2024 CEO Brian Thompson.
Ted Shafley | AP
The suspect was seen walking out of a park about 20 blocks north of the shooting scene, then took a taxi north to the Washington Heights neighborhood and ended up at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, New York City police said. He was reportedly seen entering.
Police also said the person of interest is believed to have arrived in New York City by bus from Atlanta on Nov. 24, went to the Hilton immediately that night and wandered the nearby streets for about 30 minutes. .
— tom winter NBC News’ Jonathan Dienst and WNBC’s Jonathan Dienst contributed to this report.