Federal and local authorities are reportedly questioning a man in Pennsylvania in connection with the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of insurance giant UnitedHealthcare, who was killed at dawn Wednesday, Dec. 4 near the Hilton Hotel Midtown, near Times Square. The suspect is Luigi Mangione, 26, a former University of Pennsylvania student from Maryland. A $50,000 reward had been offered for any information leading to an arrest.
According to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, the suspect was reportedly found in a McDonald’s in Altoona in possession of a gun similar to the one used in the shooting, as well as four fake IDs and other items matching authorities’ reconstructions. Although Kenny said it is still too early to determine whether the man is really connected to Thompson’s death, images of the suspect’s face from surveillance bear a strong resemblance to photos posted on Mangione’s social media accounts. In posts shared on LinkedIn, the 26-year-old expressed anger toward the health insurance industry, accusing insurers of profiting from Americans’ illnesses. Mangione had also published posts against capitalism and expressing concerns about climate change.
The manhunt had expanded out of New York State as soon as images were released of the suspect in a cab on his way to the Port Authority bus terminal on 42nd Street. New York investigators cooperated with the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, going as far as Atlanta in their search, as Mangione reportedly arrived in Manhattan on Nov. 24 aboard a bus that had departed from Georgia. He would then go on to scout out the murder site and go to a hostel on 104th Street where he stayed until the morning of the murder. From there, he would make his escape, first by bicycle to Central Park and then to the station.
In recent days, Mayor Eric Adams admitted that authorities had identified his name, but had no intention of revealing it so as not to interfere with the investigation. “If we do that we are tipping off the person we are looking for and we don’t want to give him an advantage at all. We let him continue to believe that he can hide behind the mask. We have revealed his face. We will reveal who he is and bring him to justice.”
