Authorities in Altoona, Pennsylvania, have arrested a suspect in the murder of Brian Thompson, a senior executive at UnitedHealth. Thompson was fatally shot last week in a brazen attack outside a Manhattan hotel in New York.
The suspect, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was apprehended on Monday after a McDonald’s employee in Altoona recognized him from police-distributed photos. Mangione was taken into custody with a weapon that matches the gun used in the killing.
Thompson’s murder has drawn widespread attention, particularly due to unsettling details surrounding the crime. The masked gunman who ambushed Thompson had the words ‘deny,’ ‘defend,’ and ‘depose’ printed on his ammunition, fueling speculation that the attack was a targeted revenge killing. He is expected to be extradited to New York to face murder-related charges.
According to Reuters, Mangione was found with a ‘ghost gun’, a weapon that is assembled from parts. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told Reuters, that the firearm also consisted of a silencer consistent with the weapon used to shoot Thompson as well as clothing and a mask matching those worn by the killer.
Mangione grew up and attended high school in Maryland, where his parents still have a home, according to public records. Police found a handwritten document that speaks to “both his motivation and his mindset,” Tisch said. While the document did not mention specific targets, Mangione harbored “ill will toward corporate America,” Kenny added.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny identified the suspect as Luigi Nicholas Mangione. Mangione was born and raised in Maryland. He has connections to San Francisco and was last known to live in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Brian Thompson was gunned down in a dawn ambush while walking from his midtown hotel to a nearby Hilton for a company investor conference. The incident occurred near iconic landmarks such as Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Center.
Security cameras recorded the shooter’s movements before and after the attack. The assailant escaped on a bicycle and was last spotted heading toward Central Park.
(With Reuters inputs)
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