In a significant breakthrough, authorities have identified 26-year-old Luigi Mangione as the "strong person of interest" in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione, originally from Towson, Maryland, was taken into custody Monday morning at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following a wide-ranging search that stretched from New York to Georgia and beyond. Police said Mangione was found in possession of a weapon resembling the gun used in the brazen Wednesday morning killing and now faces at least one weapons charge.
Investigators believe Mangione's arrest may be central to resolving the high-profile murder of Thompson, who was shot from behind outside a Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan. "We have a strong person of interest in the shooting that shook our city last week," New York Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference Monday. "He matches the description of the identification that we've been looking for, he's also in possession of several items that we believe connect him to this incident."
Police sources told NBC News that Mangione carried a silencer, a mask, fake New Jersey IDs, and a "three-page document" suggesting hostility toward corporate America. According to authorities, he had ties to San Francisco and Honolulu and allegedly traveled by bus into New York City just days before Thompson's murder. Mangione's LinkedIn profile lists an impressive academic background: a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering and computer science from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as graduation cum laude in 2020.
JUST IN: Pictures of the “ghost g-n” and fake New Jersey ID of Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the mu-der of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson have been released.
Mangione was described as a “strong” person of interest in the k-lling of Thompson and was arrested on firearms… pic.twitter.com/CTiieZ8ues — RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) December 9, 2024
The suspect's alleged anti-capitalist leanings have caught investigators' attention. Law enforcement sources told the New York Post that Mangione "liked online quotes from 'Unabomber' Ted Kaczynski" and possessed a manifesto critical of societal structures. "Imagine a society that subjects people to conditions that make them terribly unhappy then gives them the drugs to take away their unhappiness," reads one Kaczynski quote Mangione purportedly admired. "Instead of removing the conditions that make people depressed modern society gives them antidepressant drugs."
Mangione apparently harbored resentment against the medical community, reportedly due to treatment provided to a sick relative. This animosity may have fueled anger toward corporate healthcare, law enforcement sources said. Thompson's employer, a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary, is the largest health insurance company in the United States-a potential target for Mangione's alleged grievances.
Authorities noted that Mangione's background is striking. A former valedictorian at Baltimore's prestigious Gilman School, he later pursued ambitious tech projects and co-founded an app development start-up, according to public social media profiles. He once worked at an assisted-living facility, and while at the University of Pennsylvania, he was credited with founding a student-run video game development club.
The investigation has also highlighted Mangione's apparent use of multiple identities. Police say he carried several fake IDs, including one bearing the name "Marc Rosario"-the same alias used by a masked individual who stayed at a Manhattan hostel before Thompson's killing. "It does seem that he had some ill will toward corporate America," New York police said.
Mangione has not been charged with Thompson's murder, but the firearm found on him, described as a "ghost gun" with 9mm capability, closely resembles the murder weapon. As the NYPD and federal authorities build their case, detectives are en route to Altoona to question Mangione and examine further evidence. Thompson's funeral took place Monday in Minnesota, even as investigators worked tirelessly to resolve the tragic case.
