UnitedHealthcare CEO Killing: Luigi Mangione Arrested, Identified as Person of Interest
Authorities are sharing more details about Luigi Mangione's arrest.
After taking him into custody on firearm charges in Altoona, Pa. on Dec. 9, police revealed the items they found in possession of the 26-year-old, who the New York Police Department named as a "strong person of interest" in connection to the targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
When Mangione was discovered by officials at a McDonald's in the Pennsylvania town, he was carrying a ghost gun and suppressor that was "consistent with the weapon used in the murder" of Thompson, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced at a news conference Dec. 9.
And that's not all Mangione—who was recognized by a McDonald's employee, according to the NYPD—had on him at the time. Authorities also recovered multiple fraudulent IDs, one of which was a fake New Jersey license that matched the one used by the Thompson shooting suspect to check into a New York City hostel before Thompson's murder, per the NYPD.
Additionally, police revealed that a mask consistent with those worn by the shooting suspect and a three-page document allegedly written by Mangione were uncovered, the latter of which Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenney said "speaks to both" his "motivation and mindset."
"These parasites had it coming," the Maryland native allegedly wrote in the multi-page paper, a police official who viewed the document told CNN Dec. 9. "I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done."
Provided to NBC News
And while the NYPD did not provide further details into the document, Kenney said during the press conference that the writings showed that Mangione seems to have "some ill will toward corporate America."
Mangione was taken into custody five days after Thompson was shot in the chest by an unidentified gunman outside the New York Hilton hotel in Manhattan, where he was headed to speak at an investor conference held by United Healthcare's parent company, UnitedHealth Group. Investigators recovered three discharged gun shell casings from the scene, which a senior New York City law enforcement official told NBC News at the time had the words "deny," "defend" and "depose" etched on them.
Provided to NBC News
Shortly after, Thompson's wife Paulette Thompson told NBC News that her husband had been receiving threats prior to his death, explaining to the outlet, "I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
Mangione has not been charged in connection to Thompson's death, but multiple officials told NBC News that his arrest could be a break in the CEO's case.
And as for Thompson's friends, coworkers and family? UnitedHealthcare shared in a Dec. 9 statement to NBC News that they hope this investigation update will bring relief to those affected by the "unspeakable tragedy."
"We thank law enforcement, and we will continue to work with them on this investigation," the company's statement continued. "We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy as they mourn.”
For more on about Thompson’s death, keep reading.
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