Prosecutors in New York City charged Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, with murder late Monday night. Mangione, 26, was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon, possession of a forged instrument, and criminal possession of a weapon with a silencer.
Thompson, 50, was shot from behind on the sidewalk outside a NYC Hilton hotel before a shareholder conference on December 4. He was appointed CEO of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021.
Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a five-day nationwide manhunt. He was taken into custody by rookie Altoona police officer Tyler Frye at a McDonald’s restaurant, where an employee and customer recognized him from a wanted poster.
During his arrest, Mangione allegedly handed over a fake ID, gave a phony name, and became quiet and started to shake when asked if he had recently been to New York. He was also found in possession of writings criticizing the healthcare industry and a ghost gun similar to the one believed to have been used to kill Thompson.
Mangione’s family released a statement saying they are “shocked and devastated” by his arrest. His cousin, Maryland State Delegate Nino Mangione, declined to comment on the matter.
Mangione graduated top of his class from the elite Gilman School in Baltimore and went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering. He was part of the Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society for Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Mangione is currently being held in Pennsylvania and could be extradited to New York as early as Tuesday.