KUALA LUMPUR – Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a 26-year-old described as a “person of interest” in the murder of a US health insurance company CEO, was arrested Monday morning at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was fatally shot on December 4 outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, New York, where UnitedHealthcare was hosting an investor conference. Police said the killing was targeted and premeditated.
Reports said Thompson was walking alone when Mangione, who police have called a “suspect”, approached him from behind and opened fire, shooting multiple times. Shell casings found at the scene bore the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose,” which investigators believe referenced tactics used by the health insurance industry to reject or delay claims.
Thompson’s death has drawn national and global attention with its connection to longstanding criticisms of the insurance industry, as well as raised concerns about security and gun safety in the US.
The arrest was made possible after an employee at the Altoona McDonald’s noticed Mangione acting suspiciously and called police. According to court records, Mangione “grew quiet and visibly nervous” when approached by officers.
According to BBC, police said he was carrying a 3D-printed ghost gun capable of firing 9mm rounds, a suppressor, and a handwritten three-page manifesto.
At a press conference in New York on Monday, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the suppressor as “consistent with the weapon used in the murder.” Tisch also highlighted the manifesto, stating that it “speaks to both his motivation and mindset.”
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny added that the document reflected “ill will towards corporate America.” The manifesto’s specific contents have not been disclosed, but police have noted parallels with the rhetoric of the Unabomber, Theodore Kaczynski.
Luigi Mangione’s internet footprints and writings also revealed an alignment with the anti-industrial and anti-corporate views of Kaczynski. Some reports indicated that Mangione had posted about Industrial Society and Its Future, the manifesto written by Kaczynski, which critiques modern industrial society and advocates for a return to simpler, pre-industrial living.
Mangione’s social media activity included a review of the book, where he seemed to share Kaczynski’s radical disdain for technological advancement and large corporations.
Mangione was taken into custody without incident at around 9.15am (local time). Officers found him sitting at a table with a laptop and wearing a blue medical mask, which matched descriptions of the mask worn by the shooter. Authorities say he was also carrying fraudulent identification, including a fake New Jersey driver’s licence used to check into a New York City hostel before the shooting.
The arrest caps an intense manhunt that began immediately after Thompson’s killing. Police released surveillance images of the suspect, including footage from a Starbucks the morning of the shooting and photos from a hostel lobby on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where he was seen grinning after removing his mask.
The release of his photos garnered attention from social media users who commented on his appearance while some doubted the authenticity of the identification due to inconsistencies between the photos, particularly pointing out that in one photo, the individual was wearing a different jacket and backpack compared to the other photos.
Investigators tracked his movements from Central Park, where he discarded a backpack, to a nearby bus terminal, where he fled the city.
The discarded backpack contained a jacket and fake Monopoly money. Other items, including a protein bar wrapper and water bottle bought at a Starbucks shortly before the attack, were also linked to Mangione, AP reported.
Raised in Maryland, he attended an elite private school, graduating as valedictorian in 2016. He later earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania, where he founded a video game development club and served as a teaching assistant. According to a LinkedIn profile that is believed to belong to him, he worked as a data engineer in California but left his position in 2023.
In recent months, Mangione appeared to have dropped off the radar.
Posts on social media indicated that friends had been trying to contact him, with one writing in October: “Nobody has heard from you in months.”
Another post on X in September was asking if Mangione was able to deliver his commitment for a friend’s wedding, as it seemed that he had been uncontactable.
Police confirmed he had ties to San Francisco, Honolulu, and Philadelphia.
Mangione was arraigned on weapons and forgery charges in Pennsylvania and is being held without bail. He will face extradition to New York to answer charges in connection with Thompson’s death.
UnitedHealth Group issued a statement thanking law enforcement for their swift action.
“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,” the statement read.
According to BBC, Mangione’s last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii. His movements before the shooting appear to have been deliberately calculated to evade detection, with authorities describing his efforts to avoid cameras and maintain a low profile.
Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens noted, “Based on everything we have seen, he was very careful…not all that successfully in some cases, but that was certainly the effort he was making.”
The investigation, which involved the FBI and other state authorities, had initially focused on Mangione’s possible motive. While the manifesto offers some clues, police are still working to understand the full scope of his actions and the reasoning behind the targeted killing.
Investigators have emphasised that Mangione’s academic achievements and professional background make the case all the more unusual.
While much of Mangione’s manifesto remains undisclosed, its focus on corporate America provides a chilling insight into what authorities describe as a “deliberate and pre-planned” killing.
According to Tisch, the document found with Mangione “provides us with some insight into what led to the shooting,” and continued, “it speaks to both his motivation and mindset.” – December 10, 2024