NEW YORK — A man in Pennsylvania is being questioned in connection with the murder from the CEO of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson in New York City.
The man, identified as 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was spotted at a McDonald’s in Altoona by someone who photos of the person of interest in case. Local authorities responded and arrested him on an illegal weapons charge, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
“At this time he is believed to be our person of interest in the brutal, targeted killing of Brian Thompson,” Tisch said. “The suspect was located in a McDonald’s and was subsequently recognized by an employee who then called police. Officers interviewed the suspect, who was acting suspiciously and carrying multiple fraudulent IDs as well as a U.S. passport.”
The weapon found on Mangione may have been 3D printed ghost gunsaid NYPD Chief Joseph Kenny.
“This is a strong person who has a lot of interest,” New York Mayor Eric Adams said after Mangione’s arrest. “It matches the description of the identification we were looking for. He is also in possession of several items that we believe link him to this incident.”
CEO was fatally shot in Midtown Manhattan
Thompson, 50, was fatally shot outside the Hilton Midtown hotel on December 4. NYPD identified a person of interest who they said used a fake New Jersey ID to check into a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side before the shooting. Investigators later said they believed the person in question had left New York City. possibly on a bus headed to Atlanta.
Mangione was found in possession of a handgun and a matching suppressor a description of the weapon killed Thompson when he was arrested, Tisch said. According to the police chief, he also had a fake New Jersey ID that matched the ID he used to check into the hostel.
“Additionally, officers found a handwritten document that speaks to both his mentality and motivation,” Tisch said. “NYPD detectives are en route to Pennsylvania where we intend to further question the individual involved.”
This weekend, NYPD continued to search Central Park for clues, specifically the gun used to kill Thompson, but were unsuccessful. Researchers discovered what they think it is on Friday the backpack of the suspected shooter at the park, law enforcement officials told CBS News.
Shocking murder captured on video
Thompson’s murder outside the Hilton on Sixth Avenue near West 54th Street was captured on surveillance video. It showed Thompson walking down the street and the gunman who appeared behind him. The gunman wields a pistol with a silencer on it and takes aim and fire, shooting Thompson in the back. As Thompson falls, the shooter appears to clear a jam in the weapon, aim and fire again. The gun then apparently jams again, before the shooter clears the round and fires again before crossing the street.
Tisch called the killing a “premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack,” as the department launched an all-out manhunt and offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The FBI also offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
“Many people passed by the suspect, but he appeared to be waiting for his intended target,” Tisch said said at a news conference the day of the murder. “The New York City Police Department’s full investigative efforts are underway, and we will not rest until we identify and apprehend the shooter in this case.”
The researchers quickly came together a timeline of the shooting, including the suspect’s movements and escape route.
The next day, Police have released images of a person they wanted to question in connection with the murder as she did focused on the hostel where he reportedly resided.
Pat Milton and Marcia Kramer contributed to this report.
