UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killing: Suspect in custody, had 'ill will toward corporate America'

After a massive manhunt, New York police say a suspect has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Authorities say a suspect is in custody in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Police identified the suspect, shown in a booking photo, as Luigi Nicholas Mangione, 26.

Authorities identified the suspect as Luigi Nicholas Mangione, 26, and police said it appears he had the gun that was used in the killing of Thompson, the Associated Press reports. New York City police say he was arrested in Altoona, Pa., about 100 miles from Pittsburgh, after he was spotted by a McDonald’s employee who recognized him.

New York Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news briefing Monday, “At this time, he is believed to be our person of interest in the brazen, targeted murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, last Wednesday in midtown Manhattan.”

Tisch said police in Pennsylvania recovered “a handwritten document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset.”

New York prosecutors filed murder charges against Mangione late Monday night, the Associated Press reports.

Thompson was shot in the back outside a Manhattan hotel early Wednesday morning, and the suspect appeared to be waiting for the UnitedHealthcare executive, authorities said. He had been in New York for the UnitedHealth Group annual investor conference, which was postponed.

Joseph Kenny, chief of detectives of the New York City Police Department, said that the document police found in Mangione’s possession didn’t outline threats to other individuals.

But Kenny said based on the document, “It does seem that he has some ill will toward corporate America.”

A law enforcement source told the AP that Mangione had a three-page document that included this language: "I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming." NBC News also reported on the language in that document.

Mangione was in possession of a “ghost gun,” Kenny said. Ghost guns can be assembled at home via kits or 3-D printers and don’t have serial numbers.

The suspect “was in possession of a ghost gun that had the capability of firing a nine millimeter round and a suppressor,” Kenny said.

Mangione is facing gun charges in Pennsylvania, and New York police are working to extradite the suspect to the city, Kenny said.

Tisch said that authorities found a mask in Mangione’s possession consistent with the suspect in the killing of Thompson. Police also discovered a fraudulent New Jersey identification that matched the ID the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel before Thompson’s shooting.

The suspect had multiple fake IDs and a U.S. passport, Tisch said.

Mangione was born and raised in Maryland and has ties to San Francisco, Kenny said at a news briefing. Mangione's last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii, and he had no arrest history in New York, Kenny said.

Mangione graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, the Ivy League school based in Philadelphia, according to WPVI-TV.

New York police had released photos of the suspect in Thompson’s killing last week, including images from a New York hostel.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams hailed “good old-fashioned police work” in the arrest of a person of interest.

Adams said Thompson was “the victim of a senseless act of violence. Our officers have been working around the clock. Many of them did not go home to pursue this individual.”

Tisch also pointed to the value of cooperating among various local, state, and federal authorities.

“This case, which captured the attention of an entire nation, is another example of how connected we are and how important it is to work together, share information, and pursue every lead,” Tisch said.

UnitedHealth Group issued a statement after the news of the arrest of a suspect, The Washington Post reports. “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,” the company said.

Authorities said last week that ammunition rounds found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” echoing language used by critics of the insurance industry, the AP reported.

At the news briefing, Kenny said police are continuing their investigation but said there’s no indication anyone at UnitedHealthcare provided the suspect with any information about Thompson’s location.

“As of right now, we have no indication that that took place,” Kenny said.