new york – A 3D-printed gun found in the possession of the suspect in last week's murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson matches a shell casing found at the scene of the shooting, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Wednesday.
Tisch also said that murder accused Luigi Mangione's fingerprints matched those found on a water bottle recovered a short distance from the scene of the crime.
Tisch said, “First of all, we got the gun in question back from Pennsylvania, it's now in the NYPD crime lab. We were able to match that gun to three shell casings that we found at the murder scene in Midtown.” “We were also able to match the fingerprints of the individual in question in our crime lab to fingerprints found on both a water bottle and a KIND bar near the murder scene in Midtown.”
Mangione was arrested and charged in Pennsylvania on Monday Counterfeiting and Firearms ViolationsAnd is being held without bail. He appeared in court on Tuesday and opposed his extradition to New YorkWhere he will face second-degree murder charges.
A big boon for investigation matches
The gun is the first evidence linking Maggione to the crime, and the fingerprints on the water bottle are the first positive forensic match linking him to the scene where Thompson was. Was shot dead outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel on December 4Sources say.
A high-ranking police source said investigators believe they have also recovered a coffee cup that the suspected gunman may have used before the shooting at a Manhattan Starbucks and have dusted it for fingerprints.
On how the new evidence will impact the extradition process, CBS News law enforcement contributor Rich Esposito said, “The evidence being collected now is helpful in building the most solid case possible, and, believe me, they Going to do that.” The most concrete case is needed. “There will be a lot of public attention to any lawsuit.”
Mayor Eric Adams expressed his gratitude to law enforcement, saying, “The number of hours they put in around the clock to bring this man to justice, away from the streets of America, especially off the streets of our city, and we are proud of him.” “We look forward to being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot dead
thompson, 50 year old father of two childrenwas shot dead outside a hotel where UnitedHealthcare was scheduled to hold its annual investor conference.
Tisch called it a “premeditated, premeditated, targeted attack”, adding that the gunman lay in wait for Thompson for several minutes before shooting him in the back and leg.
Police have started searching for the suspect Started piecing together a timelineInvestigators said he fled the scene on a bike and drove to Central Park, Where sources said they later found a backpack Which contained a jacket and Monopoly money, but no murder weapon.
The biggest break in the case came from here An Upper West Side hostel where the gunman is believed to have stayed In the days before the shooting. According to sources, he was seen in surveillance images lowering his mask after the woman at the front desk asked to “see his beautiful smile.”
police later He released more photos showing him inside a taxiWhich they believe drove him to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in upper Manhattan and boarded a Greyhound. Investigators believe he left town shortly after the shootings and was traveling around Pennsylvania before being captured.
He was spotted on Monday Inside a McDonald's in Altoona, PennsylvaniaAbout 300 miles away from the crime scene. a customer recognized him and alerted an employeeWho called the police.
Mangione was found to be in possession of a fake New Jersey ID, which he is believed to have used to check into a hostel. Initially detained on charges of forgeryThe police searched his belongings and found a 3d printed ghost gun A US passport, consistent with the passport used in the shooting, $8,000 in cash and a handwritten note.
Sources tell CBS News investigators Referencing the note as a claim of responsibilityThey believe the suspect's complaints against UnitedHealthcare and other health insurance companies motivated the murder.
Apart from the note, sources said bullet shells were found at the spot. The words “delay” and “reject” were written on themIt is believed A reference used by critics of the insurance industry,
Who is Luigi Mangione?
CBS News has learned that the 26-year-old comes From a prominent Maryland familyHe graduated from a private high school and received a master's degree in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania,
His family said in a statement after his arrest, “Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione. We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked by Luigi's arrest. And it has been destroyed.” “We pray for Brian Thompson's family and we ask people to pray for everyone involved. We are devastated by this news.”
Mangione was living at a co-living space called Surfbreak in Hawaii until 2022, when a spokesperson for the community said he left due to a lifelong back injury that was aggravated by surfing and hiking. The spokesperson also said they believed Mangione returned to Hawaii in 2023 and started a book club, which many members left due to “discomfort with the book choices.”
Sources told CBS News that back pain was a major factor in his life and appeared to be a source of frustration.
“We are finding that he possibly was involved in an accident that caused him to go to the emergency room on July 4, 2023,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenney told CBS News New York's Marcia Kramer.
In recent months, posts tagging Mangione on social media suggest he has lost touch with friends, with some people asking where he is and what he's doing, wishing him well and hoping that I am sure he is fine. His mother filed a missing person report in San Francisco in November because she was concerned he was not communicating.
Contributed to this report.