A suspect, Luigi Mangioni, 26, was arrested today in Pennsylvania, in the northeastern United States, as part of the investigation into last Wednesday’s street killing in New York City, the New York City Police and the City of New York said.
“Members of the Altoona police force,” 500 kilometers west of New York, “arrested Luigi Mangioni, a 26-year-old man, for possession of firearms. At this time, we believe this is the person we are looking for in the targeted and heinous killing of Brian Thompson, CEO of United Healthcare,” New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tice said during a news conference, flanked by of Mayor Eric Adams.
Maggioni was born and raised in Maryland, attended college in Pennsylvania, had ties to San Francisco and most recently lived in Honolulu, officials said.
Earlier, US media reported that the man was being questioned by local police, as he was found in possession of the same type of weapon used in the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
According to the New York Times, citing well-informed sources, the man who McDonald’s in Altoona presented with a fake ID, similar to the one the killer used to make his reservation at a New York hotel the night before crime.
According to a police official, Joseph Kenny, the man was carrying a document that suggested he “feels animosity toward American companies.”
In the early hours of Wednesday, the killer approached Thompson, 50, and shot him in cold blood in the middle of the street, in front of bystanders, outside a Manhattan hotel, a scene captured on security camera that has now been seen by millions of people.
to have used a long-barreled gun – commonly used to euthanize animals – fitted with a silencer to commit the murder.
Thompson was scheduled to attend an investor conference in the Midtown business district.
At present, the police have not made any report on the motive of the murder.
Authorities also did not confirm media reports that the words “delay” and “deny” – terms often used by insurance companies to reject claims – were written on the shell casings found at the scene.
Several security camera photos of the suspect have been released by police, who have promised a reward for any information that could help the investigation. The photos show a white man, young and thin, with his face uncovered, seen from the front, with a hood on his head and a black scarf wrapped around his neck.
UnitedHealth Group insures 51 million people and works with government programs like Medicare, the health insurance system for seniors.
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