The suspect wanted in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in NYC was arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania after a worker noticed him and called 911.
Thompson, 50, was gunned down on a sidewalk outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan on December 4.
The suspect was identified as 26-year-old Luigi Mangione. Sources say he was spotted at a McDonald’s by an employee who thought he acted suspiciously. The worker recognized him from photos released by the NYPD.
At the time of his arrest, police found a gun and a healthcare manifesto on him. Mangione was also carrying multiple identification cards and a passport.
The FBI doesn’t believe he tried to flee the country.
“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 on Monday. “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.”
Mangione is from a wealthy Baltimore family. His cousin is a Maryland state delegate. The suspect was identified through DNA left on a Starbucks cup.
Mangione left a treasure trove of evidence behind in New York City, including his $300 Peak Design backpack which contained Monopoly money and a jacket. The backpack was found in Central Park in an area that had already been searched by police 3 days earlier.
Reddit users theorize that the Monopoly money symbolizes the monopoly that UnitedHealthcare holds over pharmacies, hospitals and clinics.
The shooting sparked a backlash against UnitedHealthcare and other insurance companies that deny healthcare claims to boost profits for their shareholders.
The suspect became a folk hero and a sex symbol to women all over the country.
One fan on Reddit wrote: “He flirted with a chick, flashed a historic smile, killed a CEO, left some Monopoly money and got away with it. I’m so hot for this dude.”
Another person wrote, “Get in line sister.”
A third person wrote: “I was hoping he would date my daughter.”
Grandmothers on X (formerly Twitter) offered the suspect home cooked meals and a warm place to sleep while he was on the run.
Mangione will be extradited to back New York to stand trial.
