Authorities arrested a man in Pennsylvania on Monday who police say is connected to the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last week.
Police apprehended Luigi Mangione, 26, in Altoona five days after Thompson was shot in Midtown Manhattan in the early hours of Wednesday, December 4, setting off a manhunt for the shooter, whose identity remained unknown. Mangione was detained after he visited a McDonald’s location in Altoona, where other guests noticed his resemblance to images of the suspected shooter released by the New York Police Department and contacted authorities, according to The New York Times.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to WIRED’s request for comment.
Prior to Mangione’s arrest, NYPD investigators mapped the alleged shooter’s movements around New York City since late November, including his stay at a Manhattan hostel, where an image of the suspect was captured without a face mask. Police later found the suspect’s backpack in Central Park, where he fled following the shooting, according to the NYPD. Authorities reportedly believe he left New York City on a bus.
Online records show that Luigi Mangione is an app developer who graduated with bachelor’s and master’s of science in engineering degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in May 2020. A GitHub account that appears to be Mangione’s and an Instagram account for the game development company AppRoarr Studios indicate that he is a cofounder there. AppRoarr did not immediately respond to WIRED’s request for comment.
At the scene of Thompson’s shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown, NYPD investigators discovered bullet casings bearing the words “delay,” “depose,” and “deny,” likely references to the ways in which health insurance companies refuse to cover customers’ medical claims. According to the Times, authorities say Mangione was carrying a “manifesto” that included passages “criticizing health care companies for putting profits above care.”
UnitedHealthcare did not immediately respond to a request for comment from WIRED. In a statement provided to other media outlets, a company spokesperson said: “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. We thank law enforcement and will continue to work with them on this investigation. We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy as they mourn.”
