New York prosecutors charge suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing with murder, court records show
Updated: 10:34 PM EST Dec 9, 2024
Officers immediate recognized him as *** suspect in the New York City shooting. Uh In recent days, that mail was asked for *** form of identification. He then provided *** fake identification card out of New Jersey. After *** brief investigation, it was determined that the ID provided was in fact *** fake ID and he was subsequently arrested uh for *** forgery charge once he was taken into custody for that forge recharge. He was transported to the Lieutenant Police Department once at the police department that mail was searched instant to arrest. It was discovered that they had *** new uh United States passport that identified him as excuse me, Luigi Manion from there to search of his property. *** firearm was located and *** suppressor was also located. There are also other items of evidentiary value that are located uh that will assist in this investigation at this time. I’m gonna turn it over to Governor Shapiro for some supports. Thank you, Deputy Chief Swo. And let me acknowledge and thank the law enforcement who I’m joined with today beginning with Lieutenant Colonel Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police. I wanna thank senior special supervisory agent SBO from the FBI acknowledge NYPD, Commissioner Daughtry and the women and men of the NYPD who join us here today, District Attorney Weeks who you will hear from shortly. And I just concluded *** briefing with Mayor Adams and Commissioner Tish from New York. I wanna begin by thanking our fellow Pennsylvania resident who acted as *** hero today. Pennsylvania resident saw something early this morning at mcdonald’s and said something to our local police and our local police here in Altoona acted swiftly. I wanna say *** special thanks to Officer Tyler Fry of the Altoona Police Department. Officer Fries about six months into his time serving his fellow people here in Pennsylvania and he acted swiftly. He acted with smarts and he acted with calm, you know, safety often turns on the strength of the relationship between the community and law enforcement. We have that strong relationship here in Altoona and it was proven here today, I wanna ask all of our fellow Pennsylvanians to demonstrate the same type of thoughtfulness and courage and smarts as the individual of mcdonald’s did this morning and help law enforcement here in Pennsylvania. As we continue with our investigation. You’ll see photos of the suspect who was here and you should know that this suspect traveled between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh making stops in between. Obviously here in Altoona, I wanna ask all of our fellow Pennsylvanians to help us with any tips that they might have by contacting us at 804 P *** tips. Again, that number is 804 P *** tips. The suspect was just arranged, arranged here in the courthouse and presumably New York will file charges very very soon. That process will continue to play out and justice will be delivered in this case. This case is hinged on attention. In fact, the attention in this case and the killing of Brian Thompson was helpful, no doubt in allowing us to capture this killer in alerting that individual at mcdonald’s this morning. And then having that individual contact with police some attention in this case, especially online has been deeply disturbing as some have to celebrate. Instead of condemning this killing, Brian Thompson was *** father to two, he was *** husband and he was *** friend to many and yes, he was the CEO of *** health insurance company in America. We do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express *** viewpoint. I understand people have real frustration with our health care system and I have worked to address that throughout my career, but I have no tolerance nor should anyone for one man using an illegal ghost gun to murder someone because he thinks his opinion matters most in *** civil society, we are all less safe when ideologues engage in vigilante justice in some dark corners. This killer is being hailed as *** hero. Hear me on this. He is no hero, the real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at mcdonald’s this morning. The real heroes every day in our society are the women and men who put on uniforms like these and go out in our communities to keep us safe. This killer is not *** hero. He should not be hailed Mr Thompson. I understand was laid to rest earlier today in Minnesota in *** private setting. As the conversation continues about this case, let’s be mindful not to dehumanize him to make him just an avatar *** system that is disliked by many. He was *** father, he was *** husband. He did not deserve to die like this on the sidewalk in New York City. I again want to thank all law enforcement as present here. The city law enforcement works best when it works together. In this case, we have the New York Police Department working together with the Altoona Police Department working together with the Pennsylvania State Police and our partners at the federal level as well. Everyone came together to solve this case and keep the public safe. I again want to ask my fellow Pennsylvanians if you have any information regarding this suspect who has traveled throughout Pennsylvania, please share those tips with us immediately. And with that, I wanna thank District Attorney weeks for his important work today and invite him to the microphone to say *** few words. Thank you. You understand. Good evening everyone. I would echo the Governor sentiments, law enforcement does work ads best when they work together. I’d also like to, uh, thank District Attorney s, all the staff came down from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office today in record time, uh, to assist us at the police department. And as the governor stated, uh, the state police, the police department, the FBI, the New York City Police Department, Logan Township Police Department, the Blair County Sheriff’s Department, um, and other agencies all work together today um to do what needs to be done uh to seek justice. I would uh I not have to brag about how the community in Blair County, uh isn’t afraid to say something uh to report *** crime to contact local law enforcement. And I’ve often touted how they’ve made their community, whether it be Altoona or somewhere else, *** safer place to live. And today I submit that *** resident from Altoona and the Altoona Police Department helped make New York City *** safer place to live and helped kick start the process to seek justice uh for *** census killing. So again, I’d like to thank everybody and it’s my honor to introduce deputy commissioner do this time. I think he was the D *** on behalf of the uh New York City mayor, Eric Adams, my boss, police commissioner Jessica Tisch wants to extend once again her appreciation to the Alta Police Department to your, to your, your leadership team, federal state, local authorities and especially to the customer at the mcdonald’s that seen something says something to mcdonald’s employee that called 911 and report this individual inside of the restaurant. The men were behind me. Detectives, some of these detectives that are sitting behind me hadn’t been home since Tuesday when that happened. They’ve been working this case tirelessly around the clock and when they got that phone call immediately jumped in their car to the police car and raced down here to go see if this was even looking. That’s dedication that, that’s that their commitment to bringing this individual to justice is to stand behind and on behalf of the mayor and the police commissioner, they send their, uh, their thanks and appreciation to you as well. This, here’s *** message to the criminal element that they, they, that they want to commit *** crime in New York City and cross state lines, county lines. The message is very clear. Police commissioner Tish’s police department, we’ll find you and bring him to justice. Just slip by. Thank you. Yes, I think with that, um, we are happy to try and take *** few questions. Governor, uh, question, I guess maybe for the local law enforcement about the arrest specifically today. Um, I don’t know who, who that would be referred out to. Uh, I guess I’m, I’m curious if we could *** little bit more about the dynamics. If you could set to the podium there, we can hear *** little bit more about the dynamics inside that mcdonald’s. I know there was some detail in the affidavit about what happened when the individual was asked if he’d been to New York. Could you speak *** little bit to his demeanor and, and how that played out? Sure. So it was *** peaceful arrest, first and foremost, um, the officer quickly recognized, uh, the male as *** suspect from the shooting and within several minutes seconds of the first contact he had asked, um, the suspect if he had been in New York City recently, and that really invoked *** physical reaction from the suspect. He became visibly nervous, uh kind of shaking um, at that question and he didn’t really answer it directly. So that, that statement alone really, really said *** lot and you, the suspect didn’t have to say *** lot after that question to, to show that, you know, he, he was very nervous at that point was that the officer that, that the governor mentioned who’s, who’s new on the job, who was involved in that? Yes, the officer fries through my left uh surprise to step this way *** little bit. And then his partner that he was with, uh Officer Joe, that was officer could do you, I mean, could you maybe identify yourself and maybe described the whole interaction and what’s played out? Spell your name? Uh Yeah, probably uh Tyl, er, Foyd. Uh So whenever we hold on to see there, uh we, we were able to pretty much buy where he was at the, in the restaurant. Uh And as soon as he pulled, he was wearing *** blue medical mask as soon as we pulled that down or we actually pull it down. Uh We, me and my partner and I recognized just from what we saw in the video with photos and videos. Um We, we just didn’t even think twice. I, we do that. I, but it was very, she was very cooper with us. Didn’t really give us too many issues. Uh Once we found out his identity, we, she put it from there. How does it feel it? Six months on the job as *** law enforcement officer to be part of uh to make this arrest? I can’t say I was expecting it uh by any means, but it feels good to get *** guy like that off the street. Uh especially starting my career this way, it feels great. Has he made any statement since his arrest? Has he asked for *** lawyer? To my knowledge, he hasn’t made any statements we are still investigating how long he’s been in Altuna. There’s still *** lot of fall to do in this case. Again, the man behind me are assisting with that. Um Can you, I’m gonna ask Colonel of the State to address the question. So there are uh *** lot of things that need to be followed up yet uh in this investigation certainly there were *** number of items that were found on his person in his backpack that have been inventoried. Uh And we’ve begun to do an analysis of some of those, there were written documents. Um There are electronic devices that are in the process of being downloaded. Um Search warrants are, are obtained. And so over the, the next uh uh hours and days those uh efforts will continue. I’m gonna take *** closer look at all of the information that we can glean from that regarding his activities up until and during the time of the homicide, his flight from New York. And we know that he has been in Pennsylvania, excuse me for several days. And so part of that investigation will also focus on trying to retrace his steps. We’ve already identified businesses, for example, they frequented in this area and activities that he engaged in that led us to more evidence. And so all of that is becoming kind of *** mountain of evidence that has be analyzed and, and looked at uh I’m confident we’ll have *** much better idea of his activities um over the past, you know, number of days uh in New York and in Pennsylvania additionally, we’re also trying to determine um that we don’t have another actor or an accomplice out there. So this information will be used to help us prove or disprove uh whether that exists and whether there were any other intended targets. So *** lot of questions that are out there that are unanswered yet. But we have *** lot of information that we can examine that hopefully will give us some of those uh uh those pieces of, of data that we need. Uh You asked, someone asked about the uh the interview. Uh He was initially cooperated. He is not now. Um And so uh he has been rained and transported and will be securely housed uh pending the filing of additional charges in New York. He come here and you mentioned that is that, you know that we’re not gonna get into any more details. At this time, we would like to hear from any Pennsylvanian, any Pittsburgh who had any sightings or any dealings with the individual. That’s why I specifically asked for anyone to share but to New York. How does that process work? I know that you have your piece here. But what happens with the New York market? And how long does it take? Ok. So that answer depends. ***, once the charging documents are filed in the state of New York, we will file *** fugitive justice complaint against the defendant. He will be brought before *** common pleas judge uh shortly thereafter. When the defendant will be presented with the option to waive his extradition, you can test his extradition if he waves his extradition. We of course will make him available uh to NYPD in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office as soon as you know, we’re able to arrange his transportation there. If he can test that, that process typically takes between 3045 days, uh, to do the requisite paperwork. But we do that all the time, um, in our office and that’s kind of *** normal procedure. The backpack itself right now, the backpack itself, you had the one that was in New York. Do we know if that’s the same one that he had the time of the shooting there or is this backpack that he had here one that he may have acquired? And the findings inside the silencer and cash some foreign currency as well? Is that correct? I’ll refer to someone else. I’m not going to speculate on any of the interpretation of the evidence. I rely on the officers during the investigation to complete that and he is *** suspect in the, on the CEO. Can we call him the suspect at this point as we confirm his, um, with the permission of District Attorney side, we expect charges to be filed forthwith. Um And obviously I’m not gonna speculate on that timing, but tonight or tomorrow or sometime in the very near future for homicide, can I just ask in terms of the officers investigating this case? Can you say any more about *** suspected possible motive? So, uh at this point, we’re not going to comment on that. I mentioned that there is *** lot of information to go through. Certainly, everything has been or will be shared with NYPD. But there is other information that uh really doesn’t even pertain to that. Um Investigation again, focuses more on his activities here in Pennsylvania and other travels. So all of that hopefully will shine more light on it. There is some information that gives us some insight into his thinking. But again, all part of the ongoing investigation, can you say more about the document that was the handwrit documents as far as, as far as the NYPD, we’re not going to be commenting on the investigation steps here for the next couple of days. There’ll be *** media availability at one police plaza and Commissioner Tisch will update, uh, Commissioner Tis, the chief of detective Joe Cain will update the media at one police plaza, but I will be happy to talk about that. The, uh, Commissioner Tish and the New York mayor did facetime on this Friday. Um, and then, uh, thank them for their service. So that was, uh, he got *** pretty cool, uh, phone call from the mayor and police commissioner. Do we know how he got to Pennsylvania? Was it through aircraft train bus? How did he arrive in Pennsylvania? Again, we do have *** good idea of that but, uh, all part of the volume, but just to clarify governor, you, you had suggested, I, I think I heard him, I wanna make sure I heard it right that, that he, I guess he took *** bus from the terminal of the George Rocking Bridge to Philly. And then from there, he was around the state and wound up here or is that your, can you be any more specific about where you, how you think this works? And I’ll, I’ll jump in as it’s all part of the ongoing investigation. So, yes, we do have *** good idea how he got from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. Uh but there are some gaps in time. And so before we start laying out *** timeline of his travel, we really need to work through all of that. And, and so we know that at some point, it is likely he was in *** variety of locations across the state to include Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and points in between in Pittsburgh. And then he made his way back here again, that will all be part of the uh caught here too. So he was in those locations first. But again, the timeline of all of that will be part of the ongoing detection for several days. Obviously, he was caught at mcdonald’s this morning, guys got to eat for the past few days. He stayed on the run for multiple days at this point. How did he manage to evade detection for so long? So I think uh again, as part of the ongoing investigation, when we determine where he’s been, where he stayed, those kinds of things, we may be able to answer some of those questions. Uh but, uh, but right now I will tell you that, um, based on everything that we have seen, he was very careful with, um, trying to stay low profile, uh, avoid cameras, um, not all that successfully in some cases, but, uh, but that was certainly the effort he was making. He took steps to try and, uh, you know, uh avoid detection with some of the electronic devices as well. So again, all part of the investigation, but uh, but clearly, um, you know, somebody that was very security conscious and, and trying to clear he has no criminal record and this is *** name that was not previously known for law enforcement. I am not aware of *** criminal history. It was the hearing and then the defendant said that those were waters. Could you speak *** little bit more to what was taken as evidence that no, not at this point. Again, I’ve spoken generally about what’s there, but at this point, everything remains under investigation and we have much more information and New York in the future, can we justify that? Sorry. Can we just sify something for any other suspects other than the accomplice or potential accomplice? We are, we’re still gonna canvas, we’re still gonna, we’re still going to investigate. Um, like I said before, we, we’re gonna provide an update in *** couple of days by the police commissioner and the chief of detectives back out in New York. I will say this though, if anybody out there that has any information that they think that will help this case to please contact our tip line, which is 1 805 77 tips with the employee. The employee 911. That is, was it *** customer that recognized the suspect first told an employee and the employee rang the police. Is that correct? How are you? Yes, my my understand. I just confirm but my understanding is the employee became suspicious, thought they recognized and wanted someone to check it out to *** customer. I’m sorry, the customer and someone to check it out. I I’m not familiar with the address of that. Yeah. Yes. The suspect disputed the currency. Can you explain why the discrepancy here? How much he was around that? Again, we’re not going to talk about what was found this in the back. We have accurately cataloged everything that was in there and me that for D *** weeks. Could you repeat what you said in court about that money? I certainly stand by all the comments I made the preliminary arraignment, but I’m not gonna comment more on the evidence that this time my comments at preliminary arraignment were in support of my argument for bail. Thank you. We probably have time for one or two more questions. How does the count or state facility? He will likely be taken to the State Correctional Institution later this evening, specifically for Pennsylvania law enforcement over the past few months you’ve had potential assassination of former president. Now President Obama. I had this. What do you think about that? Violence can never be used to address political differences or to address *** substantive difference or to try and prove some ideological point. That is not what we do in *** civilized society. That was true. In Butler. It was true in New York City. It’s true anywhere. That is not how you make progress in this country person. The suspect here was shot at that CEO and killed that CEO. He’s *** coward, not *** hero. And we need to make sure that in this country, we get back to having *** civil discourse about our differences. And that is an important lesson coming out of Pennsylvania. And it is one that I think the rest of the nation needs to hear as well. On *** law enforcement side, I will tell you that I am incredibly proud of the Pennsylvania State police and local police in Butler and here in Altoona who responded in *** way that kept others safe and saved other lives. That was true at the fairgrounds in Butler. And it was true here today in Altoona and that local Pennsylvanian not spoken up. And that wonderful police officer who’s been on this job for six months, not acting calmly and swiftly. God knows what could have happened. So I think the lessons coming out of Pennsylvania, I think violence is not *** way to answer ques questions and address problems. And that we have the gift of law enforcement here in this commonwealth who care deeply about the safety and well being of our fellow Pennsylvanians and our fellow Americans. I commend.
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New York prosecutors charge suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing with murder, court records show
Updated: 10:34 PM EST Dec 9, 2024
Late Monday, Manhattan prosecutors filed murder and other charges against Luigi Nicholas Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, according to an online court docket.Mangione remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police.Police arrested Mangione Monday after a quick-thinking McDonald’s customer in Pennsylvania spotted a man who officers found with a gun, mask and writings linking him to the ambush.Here’s the latest:A 26-year-old man, Luigi Nicholas Mangione, was arrested in Pennsylvania, suspected of murdering UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson with a ghost gun.The suspect was found with a weapon, fraudulent IDs, and clothing matching those seen in surveillance footage linked to the crime.New York prosecutors have filed a murder charge against Mangione, court records show.Investigators suggest the suspect may have had “ill will toward corporate America,” as indicated by a handwritten document found in his possession.The chance sighting at the restaurant in Altoona led to a dramatic break in a challenging but fast-moving investigation that captivated the public in the five days since the shooting that shook the business world.Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, had a gun believed to be the one used in last Wednesday’s shooting of Brian Thompson, as well as writings suggesting anger with corporate America, police said.In Pennsylvania, he was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police.Mangione was sitting in the rear of the McDonald’s wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a laptop computer, court documents said. A customer saw him and an employee called 911, said Kaz Daughtry, an NYPD deputy commissioner.Altoona Police Officer Tyler Frye said he and his partner recognized the suspect immediately when he pulled down his mask. “We just didn’t think twice about it. We knew that was our guy,” he said.When one of the officers asked if he’d been to New York recently, he “became quiet and started to shake,” according to a criminal complaint based on their accounts of the arrest.In his backpack, police found a black, 3D-printed pistol and a 3D-printed black silencer, the complaint said. The pistol had a metal slide and plastic handle with a metal threaded barrel. He was taken into custody at about 9:15 a.m., police said.Mangione had clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the shooter and a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching one the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel before the shooting, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, has ties to San Francisco and a last known address in Honolulu.“Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Maryland lawmaker Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.”Mangione was arraigned and ordered held without bail during a brief court hearing. Asked if he needed a public defender, he asked if he could “answer that at a future date.” He eventually will be extradited to New York to face charges in connection with Thompson’s death, Kenny said.Police found a three-page document with writings suggesting that Mangione had “ill will toward corporate America,” Kenny said.The handwritten document “speaks to both his motivation and mindset,” Tisch said.Altoona Deputy Chief of Police Derek Swope would not characterize the writings except to say they were voluminous.”They were very detailed, and everything we have is going to be turned over to NYPD,” he told The Associated Press.Mangione had a ghost gun, a type of weapon that can be assembled at home from parts without a serial number, making them difficult to trace, investigators said.He also had a passport and $10,000 in cash — $2,000 of it in foreign currency, the local prosecutor said. Mangione, who said Hawaii was his most recent address, disputed the amount.Thompson, 50, was killed last Wednesday as he walked alone to a hotel, where UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, was holding its annual investor conference, police said.UnitedHealth Group thanked law enforcement in a statement. “Our hope is that today’s apprehension brings some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy,” a company spokesperson said.The shooting shook U.S. businesses and the health insurance industry in particular, causing companies to rethink security plans and delete photos of executives from their websites.The shooter appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching the executive from behind and opening fire, police said.Mangione attended an elite Baltimore prep school, graduating as valedictorian in 2016, according to the school’s website. He went on to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a school spokesperson said.One of his cousins is a Maryland state legislator and his family bought a country club north of Baltimore in the 1980s. On Monday, police blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to the suspect’s parents. A swarm of reporters and photographers gathered outside.Mangione went from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh after the shooting, and likely “was in a variety of locations across the state,” said Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said.”Based on everything we have seen, he was very careful with trying to stay low profile, avoid cameras — not all that successfully in some cases, but that was certainly the effort he was making,” Bivens said.In the days since the shooting, police turned to the public for help by releasing a collection of nine photos and video — including footage of the attack, as well as images of the suspect at a Starbucks beforehand.Photos taken in the lobby of a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side showed the suspect grinning after removing his mask, police said.On Monday, police credited news outlets for disseminating the images and the tipster for recognizing the suspect and calling authorities.Investigators earlier suggested the gunman may have been a disgruntled employee or client of the insurer. Ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by insurance industry critics.The gunman concealed his identity with a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence, including a backpack he ditched in Central Park, a cellphone found in a pedestrian plaza and a water bottle and protein bar wrapper that police say he bought at Starbucks minutes before the attack.On Friday, police said the killer had left the city soon after the shooting. Retracing the gunman’s steps using surveillance video, investigators say the shooter rode into Central Park on a bicycle and emerged from the park without his backpack. He made his way to a bus station that offers commuter service to New Jersey and routes to the East Coast, police said.___Michael R. Sisak and Cedar Attanasio reported from New York. Associated Press writers Michael Rubinkam and Maryclaire Dale in Pennsylvania; Lea Skene, in Baltimore; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, and Mark Scolforo contributed to this report.
Late Monday, Manhattan prosecutors filed murder and other charges against Luigi Nicholas Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, according to an online court docket.
Mangione remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police.
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Police arrested Mangione Monday after a quick-thinking McDonald’s customer in Pennsylvania spotted a man who officers found with a gun, mask and writings linking him to the ambush.
Here’s the latest:
- A 26-year-old man, Luigi Nicholas Mangione, was arrested in Pennsylvania, suspected of murdering UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson with a ghost gun.
- The suspect was found with a weapon, fraudulent IDs, and clothing matching those seen in surveillance footage linked to the crime.
- New York prosecutors have filed a murder charge against Mangione, court records show.
- Investigators suggest the suspect may have had “ill will toward corporate America,” as indicated by a handwritten document found in his possession.
The chance sighting at the restaurant in Altoona led to a dramatic break in a challenging but fast-moving investigation that captivated the public in the five days since the shooting that shook the business world.
Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, had a gun believed to be the one used in last Wednesday’s shooting of Brian Thompson, as well as writings suggesting anger with corporate America, police said.
In Pennsylvania, he was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police.
Mangione was sitting in the rear of the McDonald’s wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a laptop computer, court documents said. A customer saw him and an employee called 911, said Kaz Daughtry, an NYPD deputy commissioner.
Altoona Police Officer Tyler Frye said he and his partner recognized the suspect immediately when he pulled down his mask. “We just didn’t think twice about it. We knew that was our guy,” he said.
When one of the officers asked if he’d been to New York recently, he “became quiet and started to shake,” according to a criminal complaint based on their accounts of the arrest.
In his backpack, police found a black, 3D-printed pistol and a 3D-printed black silencer, the complaint said. The pistol had a metal slide and plastic handle with a metal threaded barrel. He was taken into custody at about 9:15 a.m., police said.
Mangione had clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the shooter and a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching one the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel before the shooting, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, has ties to San Francisco and a last known address in Honolulu.
“Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Maryland lawmaker Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.”
Mangione was arraigned and ordered held without bail during a brief court hearing. Asked if he needed a public defender, he asked if he could “answer that at a future date.” He eventually will be extradited to New York to face charges in connection with Thompson’s death, Kenny said.
Police found a three-page document with writings suggesting that Mangione had “ill will toward corporate America,” Kenny said.
The handwritten document “speaks to both his motivation and mindset,” Tisch said.
Altoona Deputy Chief of Police Derek Swope would not characterize the writings except to say they were voluminous.
“They were very detailed, and everything we have is going to be turned over to NYPD,” he told The Associated Press.
Mangione had a ghost gun, a type of weapon that can be assembled at home from parts without a serial number, making them difficult to trace, investigators said.
He also had a passport and $10,000 in cash — $2,000 of it in foreign currency, the local prosecutor said. Mangione, who said Hawaii was his most recent address, disputed the amount.
Thompson, 50, was killed last Wednesday as he walked alone to a hotel, where UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, was holding its annual investor conference, police said.
UnitedHealth Group thanked law enforcement in a statement. “Our hope is that today’s apprehension brings some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy,” a company spokesperson said.
The shooting shook U.S. businesses and the health insurance industry in particular, causing companies to rethink security plans and delete photos of executives from their websites.
The shooter appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching the executive from behind and opening fire, police said.
Mangione attended an elite Baltimore prep school, graduating as valedictorian in 2016, according to the school’s website. He went on to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a school spokesperson said.
One of his cousins is a Maryland state legislator and his family bought a country club north of Baltimore in the 1980s. On Monday, police blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to the suspect’s parents. A swarm of reporters and photographers gathered outside.
Mangione went from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh after the shooting, and likely “was in a variety of locations across the state,” said Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said.
“Based on everything we have seen, he was very careful with trying to stay low profile, avoid cameras — not all that successfully in some cases, but that was certainly the effort he was making,” Bivens said.
In the days since the shooting, police turned to the public for help by releasing a collection of nine photos and video — including footage of the attack, as well as images of the suspect at a Starbucks beforehand.
Photos taken in the lobby of a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side showed the suspect grinning after removing his mask, police said.
On Monday, police credited news outlets for disseminating the images and the tipster for recognizing the suspect and calling authorities.
Investigators earlier suggested the gunman may have been a disgruntled employee or client of the insurer. Ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by insurance industry critics.
The gunman concealed his identity with a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence, including a backpack he ditched in Central Park, a cellphone found in a pedestrian plaza and a water bottle and protein bar wrapper that police say he bought at Starbucks minutes before the attack.
On Friday, police said the killer had left the city soon after the shooting. Retracing the gunman’s steps using surveillance video, investigators say the shooter rode into Central Park on a bicycle and emerged from the park without his backpack. He made his way to a bus station that offers commuter service to New Jersey and routes to the East Coast, police said.
___
Michael R. Sisak and Cedar Attanasio reported from New York. Associated Press writers Michael Rubinkam and Maryclaire Dale in Pennsylvania; Lea Skene, in Baltimore; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, and Mark Scolforo contributed to this report.
