Person of interest in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is in custody
NEW YORK -- Luigi Mangione, who has been charged in last week's murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, was taken into custody on unrelated charges in Pennsylvania earlier on Monday.
Mangione, 26, was spotted at an Altoona McDonald's in the morning by someone who'd seen photos of the person of interest in the case. Local authorities responded and arrested him on forgery and illegal gun charges.
"At this time, he is believed to be our person of interest in the brazen, targeted murder of Brian Thompson," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. "The suspect was in a McDonald's and then recognized by an employee who then called police. Responding officers questioned the suspect, who was acting suspiciously and was carrying multiple fraudulent IDs as well as a U.S. passport."
How the arrest went down
Responding Altoona Police Officer Tyler Frye, who is only six months on the job, said he directed Mangione to remove his mask.
"We didn't think twice about it. We knew it was our guy," Frye said during a news conference on Monday night.
Frye said he asked Mangione if he had been in New York City recently.
"He became visibly nervous, kind of shaking at that question, and he didn't really answer it directly," Altoona Police Deputy Chief Derick Swope said.
When prompted for his ID, police say he gave a fake New Jersey driver's license, which investigators believe was used to check into a Manhattan hostel 10 days before the shooting.
The NYPD is working to extradite Mangione to New York, a process that could take days or weeks.
"This is a strong person of interest," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. "He matches the description of the identification we've been looking for. He's also in possession of several items that we believe will connect him to this incident."
Mangione is an Ivy League graduate and part of a prominent family in Maryland. Police said he has no prior arrests.
Gun recovered is consistent with murder weapon, police say
Mangione was sitting and eating at the McDonald's when officers arrived, police said.
Once in custody, police searched his backpack, where they found a U.S. passport, clothes that matched the shooter's attire, a ghost gun with a suppressor, consistent with the murder weapon, and a three-page writing.
Police revealed Mangione also had various electronic devices, which they believe he was using to evade detection.
"He was very careful with trying to stay low profile, avoid cameras," Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said.
"The document is currently in possession of the Altoona Police Department," Kenny said. "But just from briefly speaking with them, we don't think that there's any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document. But it does seem that he has some ill will toward corporate America."
Thompson, 50, was fatally shot outside the Hilton Midtown hotel on Dec. 4. The NYPD identified a person of interest who it said had 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 of interest had left New York City, possibly on a bus.
"NYPD investigators combed through thousands of hours of video, followed up on hundreds of tips and processed every bit of forensic evidence, DNA, fingerprints, IP addresses, and so much more. We deployed drones, canine units, scuba divers," Tisch said.
Over the weekend, the NYPD continued to search Central Park for clues, specifically the weapon used to kill Thompson, but was unsuccessful. Investigators on Friday found what they believe is the suspected gunman's backpack in the park, law enforcement officials told CBS News.
"In this case, it really came down to technology. It was the use of drones in Central Park, and really comes down to the video canvas that we did. We used every source of video that we could collect. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours, from hundreds of sources, and that helped bring this to where we are right now," Kenny said.
CEO's shocking murder caught 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 appearing behind him. Wielding a pistol with a silencer on it, the gunman is seen taking aim and firing, shooting Thompson in the back. As Thompson falls, the gunman appears to clear a jam in the weapon, take aim and fire again. The gun then apparently jams again, before the gunman clears the round and fires once more before running across the street.
Tisch called the killing a "premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack" as the department launched an all-out manhunt and offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The FBI was also offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
"Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target," Tisch said at a news conference the day of the shooting. "The full investigative efforts of the New York City Police Department are well underway, and we will not rest until we identify and apprehend the shooter in this case."
Quickly, investigators put together a timeline of the shooting, including the suspect's movements and escape route.
The next day, police released images of a person they wanted to question in connection with the killing as they zeroed in on the hostel where he was allegedly staying.