Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old man with a wealthy family background, was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Monday morning in connection with the brazen assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan last week.
According to police, Mangione sat alone at a table in the back of the restaurant, wearing a medical mask, a brown beanie, and a dark jacket, and was identified by officers who responded to a tip from a customer who recognized him.
Mangione was taken into custody after he provided a fake New Jersey ID, but eventually admitted his true identity and was found to be carrying a 3D-printed pistol with a loaded Glock magazine and a black silencer in his backpack.
A handwritten document, described as the suspect’s “manifesto,” was also found on him, which indicated “ill will towards corporate America” and referred to the health insurance industry. The document did not specifically mention Thompson, but seemed to suggest that the killing was intended as a symbolic challenge to the industry.
Mangione’s attorney has indicated that his client will fight extradition to New York, where he will face charges of murder and weapons possession.