The man suspected of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is set to be extradited to New York where he was charged with second-degree murder on Monday after being arrested at an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s fast food restaurant on firearms charges.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was nabbed by Altoona police on Monday afternoon after a McDonald’s employee tipped off law enforcement while the suspect was eating. Mangione was charged with possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a forged instrument, and criminal possession of a weapon, ABC News reported.
The suspect remains in the custody of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. When Altoona police asked him if he had been to New York City recently, Mangione started shaking, according to the charging document. Mangione’s mug shot was released by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections on Monday night.
Booking photo of Luigi Mangione (QQ7787): https://t.co/5VIC4r4s0T pic.twitter.com/XKmJhxTl9V
— PA Department of Corrections (@CorrectionsPA) December 10, 2024
According to law enforcement sources, Mangione was traveling through Altoona on a Greyhound bus when he went to eat at McDonald’s, ABC News reported. A customer who recognized Mangione from photos circulated by the NYPD alerted an employee at the fast food chain, who then reported Mangione to the police. When Altoona police arrived to question Mangione, they found multiple fake IDs on him and what appeared to be a homemade firearm and suppressor, according to authorities.
Mangione also had a written manifesto on him that mentioned “United,” a law enforcement source told CNN. A senior law enforcement official told The New York Times that Mangione accuses UnitedHealthcare of prioritizing profit over patients.
“To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone,” Mangione allegedly wrote.
Mangione also faces multiple charges in Pennsylvania, including carrying a gun without a license, forgery, falsely identifying himself to authorities, and possessing “instruments of crime.” The 26-year-old suspect is originally from Maryland and earned a degree in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania. Authorities believe Mangione has ties to San Francisco and most recently lived in Honolulu.
Fox News reported that Mangione’s family released a statement on Monday, saying, “We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news.” The statement was released by Mangione’s cousin, Nino Mangione, a Maryland state delegate.
CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Thompson, 50, was gunned down on a Midtown Manhattan street last Wednesday morning as he was making his way to the Hilton hotel for his company’s Investor’s Conference. The CEO was approached from behind by a masked assassin dressed in black who shot Thompson in the back, causing him to stumble to the ground, before firing more shots at him. The assassin used what appeared to be a handgun with a suppressor. Thompson was declared dead a short time later at the hospital. The CEO is survived by his wife, Paulette, and their two children.
