Authorities on Monday arrested a man in Pennsylvania who police say is linked to the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last week.
Five days after Thompson was shot in midtown Manhattan on the morning of Wednesday, December 4, police in Altoona arrested 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, sparking a search for the attacker, whose identity remains unknown. Mangione was detained after visiting a McDonald's location in Altoona, where other guests noticed his resemblance to images of the suspected shooter released by the New York Police Department and contacted authorities. the new York Times,
The NYPD did not immediately respond to WIRED's request for comment.
Before Mangione's arrest, NYPD investigators mapped the alleged shooter's movements around New York City since late November, including his stay at a Manhattan hostel, where a photo of the suspect was captured without a face mask. According to the NYPD, police later found the suspect's backpack in Central Park, where he had fled after the shooting. Authorities reportedly believe he left on a bus from New York City.
Online records show that Luigi Mangione is an app developer who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Science and Masters in Engineering degrees. GitHub account It appears to be Mangione's and the Instagram account for game development company AppRoarr Studios indicates he is a co-founder there. AppRoarr did not immediately respond to WIRED's request for comment.
At the scene of Thompson's shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown, NYPD investigators discovered bullet casings with the words “delay,” “remove” and “deny” written on them, possibly referencing the ways in which health Insurance companies refuse to cover customers' medical. Claim. according to TimesAuthorities say Manigone was carrying a “manifesto” that included excerpts “criticizing health care companies for putting profit above care.”
UnitedHealthcare did not immediately respond to a request for comment from WIRED. In a statement provided to other media outlets, a company spokesperson said: “Our hope is that today's apprehension will bring some comfort to Brian's family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy. We thank law enforcement and will continue to work with them on this investigation. We ask that everyone respect the family's privacy as they mourn.”