Luigi Mangione charged with murder of healthcare CEO
A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last week.
Luigi Mangione was detained Monday at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 280 miles (450 kilometers) west of New York City, after a customer recognized him he.
An Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland family, he was found in possession of a 3D-printed gun and a handwritten document indicating “motives and mindset,” according to police.
Mr. Mangione later appeared in a Pennsylvania court where he was arraigned on five preliminary charges and was denied bail.
Hours later, New York investigators charged Mangione with murder and four other counts, including firearms charges.
Thompson, 50, was shot in the back last Wednesday morning outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan, where UnitedHealthcare, the health insurance giant he led, was holding an investor conference.
Police say he was the target of a premeditated murder.
Mr. Mangione is currently in a Pennsylvania prison where he was formally charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police.
His wrists and ankles were shackled when he appeared in court earlier Monday.
Mangione, wearing jeans and a dark blue sweatshirt, appeared calm during the hearing, occasionally looking around, including the media.
Last week’s shooting sparked a massive manhunt, with New York City investigators using one of the world’s largest digital surveillance systems as well as police dogs, drones and divers to search for the attacker in a Central Park lake.
Investigators revealed that finding Mr Mangione came as a complete surprise as they had not put his name on a suspect list before Monday.
Eventually, a McDonald’s customer in Altoona recognized the suspect from media reports and notified an employee, who then reported it to police.
When police arrived, Mangione showed them a fake New Jersey driver’s license in the name of Mark Rosario, court documents say.
The criminal complaint adds that when an officer asked him if he had been to New York recently, he “became quiet and began to shake.”
He revealed his real name when he was told he would be arrested if he lied about his name, court documents show.
When asked why he lied, he told police “I obviously shouldn’t have lied.”
A search of his backpack revealed a 3D printed pistol, a 3D printed silencer and a magazine containing six rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Prosecutors said he also carried a U.S. passport and $10,000 in cash, $2,000 of which was in foreign currency, but Mr. Mangione disputed the amount in court.
Officials said a three-page handwritten document found on him showed he had “malicious intentions toward corporate America.”
Investigators said shell casings found at the scene of Thompson’s murder had the words “deny,” “defend” and “discard” written on them.
Officials believe this may be a reference to what critics call the “three D’s of insurance” – tactics used by insurance companies to deny patient claims for payment in America’s complex health care system.
Earlier in the day, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tish said the weapons and suppressors investigators recovered from the suspect were “consistent with the weapons used in Thompson’s murder.”
Mr. Mangione is expected to face the choice of giving up extradition to New York state or contesting his extradition.
If he gives up, he will be immediately picked up by New York authorities. If he objects, the entire process could take 30 to 45 days.
Mangione’s family said they were “shocked and saddened” by his arrest.
“Our prayers go out to the family of Brian Thompson, and we ask for prayers for everyone involved,” their statement said. Late Monday, the defendant’s cousin, Maryland Congressman Nino Mangione, posted on social media made this statement.
As a teenager, Mangione attended a private boys’ school in Maryland, where he served as class valedictorian, a title usually given to the top-achieving student.
He graduated from the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania.
His LinkedIn account lists him as a data engineer in California. Car buyers website TrueCar confirmed that he worked there but left in 2023.
Mr. Mangione’s last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Multiple posts on an account on “.
