That chance discovery in the Altoona restaurant led to a dramatic breakthrough in a difficult but fast-moving investigation that has captivated the public in the five days since the shooting that rocked the health insurance industry.
Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a 26-year-old graduate of a prestigious university from a prominent Maryland real estate family, had a gun believed to be the one used in the shooting of Brian Thompson last Wednesday, as well as writings suggesting anger against American companies, said the New York Police Department (NYPD).
He was charged with possession of a firearm without a license, forgery and providing false identification to police. Authorities expected murder charges to be filed in New York in the coming days.
Mr. Mangione was sitting in a McDonald's wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a laptop, according to court documents. A customer saw him and an employee called 911, said NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry.
Altoona Police Officer Tyler Frye said he and his partner immediately recognized the suspect when he pulled down his mask. “We didn’t think twice about it. We knew he was our guy,” he said.
When one of the officers asked him if he had been to New York recently, he “became silent and began to shake,” according to a criminal complaint based on their accounts of the arrest.
In his backpack, police found a pistol and a black silencer, both 3D printed, according to the complaint. The gun had a metal slide and plastic grip with a threaded metal barrel. He was taken into custody around 9:15 a.m., police said.
Mr. Mangione wore clothes and a mask similar to those worn by the shooter and a fake New Jersey ID matching the one the suspect used to check into a New York hostel before the shooting, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Luigi Nicholas Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, has ties to San Francisco and his last known address was Honolulu, Hawaii, New York chief investigator Joseph Kenny said at a press briefing Monday. .
The suspect was charged and held without bail during a brief court hearing. When asked if he needed a court-appointed attorney, he asked if he could “answer that question at a later date.” He will ultimately be extradited to New York to face charges related to Mr. Thompson's death, Mr. Kenny said.
Police found a three-page document with writings suggesting the suspect “was after big American companies,” he said.
Altoona Deputy Police Chief Derek Swope would not characterize the writings except to say they were voluminous.
A “ghost gun” used
The suspect had a “ghost gun,” police said. “At this time, the information we are receiving from Altoona indicates that the weapon appears to be a ghost gun that was allegedly made on a 3D printer, capable of firing a 9mm round,” Joseph Kenny said.
He also had a passport and US$10,000 in cash, including US$2,000 in foreign currency, the local prosecutor said. Mr. Mangione, who said Hawaii was his last address, disputed the amount.
Brian Thompson, 50, was killed last Wednesday in what police called a “targeted” attack as the CEO walked alone to the Hilton from a nearby hotel, where the company's parent company Health insurance company UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual investor conference, police said.
The UnitedHealth group thanked law enforcement in a statement Monday. “We hope that today's arrest 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 corporate America and the health insurance industry in particular, forcing companies to rethink their security plans and remove photos of executives from their websites.
The shooter appeared to “stay on the lookout for several minutes” before approaching the leader from behind and opening fire, Commissioner Tisch said.
Mr. Mangione attended an elite Baltimore prep school, graduating as valedictorian in 2016, according to the school's website. He then earned 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. Police on Monday blocked the entrance to the property, which public records link to the parents of the suspect. A swarm of journalists and photographers gathered outside.
The suspect traveled from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh after the murder, and likely “has been to various locations throughout the state,” said Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police.
“From everything we saw, he was very careful to keep a low profile, to avoid the cameras – not always successfully in some cases, but that was certainly the effort he was making,” he said. -he clarified.
In the days following the shooting, police turned to the public for help by releasing a collection of nine photos and videos – including footage of the attack, as well as footage of the suspect in a Starbucks before the fact.
“Delay”, “deny” and “defend”
Investigators had earlier suggested the shooter may have been a disgruntled employee or customer of the insurer. The ammunition found near Mr. Thompson's body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “defend,” recalling a phrase used by critics of insurance companies who balk at paying compensation.
The shooter concealed his identity with a mask during the shooting, but left traces, including a backpack he abandoned in Central Park, a cell phone found in a pedestrian plaza, and a bottle of water and a protein bar wrapper.
Police said Friday that the killer left town shortly after the shooting. Tracing the shooter's steps using surveillance video, investigators maintain that he entered Central Park on a bicycle and exited the park without his backpack. He headed to a bus station that offers shuttle services to New Jersey and routes to the East Coast, police said.
