UPDATE DECEMBER 9, 2024: A person-of-interest in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is in police custody.
The suspect, identified as 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was arrested in Pennsylvania on Monday morning, five days after Thompson was ambushed in Manhattan as he headed to his company’s annual investor conference.
Mangione was eating at a McDonald’s in Altoona when an employee who believed he resembled the suspect called police, Reuters reports. The suspect was reportedly found with a ghost gun and a suppressor consistent with the weapon used to kill Thompson. Joseph Kenny, the NYPD’s chief of detectives, said the gun may have been produced by a 3D printer.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the suspect was wearing clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the killer. He also had multiple fraudulent identifications on his person, including a fake New Jersey ID that matched the one used by the gunman to check into a Manhattan hostel days before the shooting.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Shooting Suspect’s Manifesto Denounced Healthcare Industry
Police also found a two-page handwritten document that condemned the healthcare industry and said violence is the only solution. Although the document did not mention specific targets, Mangione harbored “ill will toward corporate America,” Kenny said.
“These parasites had it coming,” the note reportedly said, a police official told CNN. The document also reportedly said, “I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done.”
Mangione was arrested on firearms charges but will likely be extradited to New York to face charges related to Thompson’s murder, Tisch said. Kenny said Mangione does not appear to have any prior arrests in the U.S.
Mangione was born and raised in Maryland and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020. He also has ties to San Francisco and most recently lived in Honolulu.
UPDATE DECEMBER 6, 2024: The unidentified masked gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson remained at large for a third day on Friday.
Thompson, 50, was shot to death on Wednesday morning as he was walking to his company’s annual investor conference. Authorities believe the attack was premeditated. The shell casings from the ammunition believed to have been used during the ambush had the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” on them. Those words echo a phrase used by insurance industry critics, reports the Associated Press.
The unidentified male shooter is believed to have entered New York City by bus on November 24, reports ABC News. His arrival was caught on Port Authority Bus Terminal security cameras at 9 p.m. that evening. The bus came from Atlanta, however, it’s not clear where the suspect boarded the bus.
At the time of the attack, the shooter wore a black face mask, black-and-white sneakers and a gray backpack.
Photos of a man wanted for questioning in the case have been released by the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Individuals who have information on this person are being asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). There is a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the gunman.
In response to Thompson’s murder, some healthcare organizations are bolstering the security of their executives. CVS Health has pulled photos of its executives off its website, reports Fox Business. Forbes is reporting that Wednesday’s attack will prompt increased demand for executive security personnel and threat assessments.
Thompson had an in-house security detail assigned to him during his trip to New York City, but the detail wasn’t with him when he was shot and killed, reports CNN.
ORIGINAL DECEMBER 4, 2024 ARTICLE:
NEW YORK — The chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest health insurers in the U.S., was shot and killed in midtown Manhattan Wednesday morning in a targeted attack.
Brian Thompson, 50, was walking toward the New York Hilton Midtown Hotel for the company’s annual investor conference around 6:45 a.m. when a gunman shot him from behind, CNN reports. The shooter then walked toward the victim and continued to shoot multiple times from 20 feet away before fleeing on an electric bicycle. Thompson was taken to Mount Sinai West in critical condition but was pronounced dead a short time later.
Investigators say the masked gunman, who is still at large, knew which door Thompson was going to enter and was waiting there for him before he arrived. Surveillance video shows the shooter come out from behind a car when Thompson arrived.
“Every indication is that this was a pre-meditated, pre-planned, targeted attack,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a news conference Wednesday.
A person familiar with the matter told CNBC that the suspect used a firearm with a silencer. Police recovered three live 9mm rounds and three discharged shell casings at the scene.
The suspect is described as a light-skinned male wearing a cream-colored jacket, black face mask, and black and white sneakers, and carrying a “very distinctive” gray backpack. Anyone with information is urged to call 1-800-577-8477. A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
NYPD released surveillance footage of the suspect just minutes before the shooting.
Wife Says UnitedHealthcare CEO Received Threats Prior to Fatal Shooting
Thompson, who had worked at UnitedHealth for 20 years, was named CEO in April 2021. He previously served as the company’s head of government programs, including Medicare and retirement.
A senior NYC law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told NBC News that the shell casings had the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” written on them. Investigators are examining whether the words relate to a possible motive involving insurance companies and their responses to claims.
Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that “there had been some threats” against her husband prior to the shooting. Thompson, who is also survived by two sons, did not have a security detail when he was killed.
“Yes, there had been some threats basically I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him,” she said. “I can’t really give a thoughtful response right now. I just found this out and I’m trying to console my children.”
Police are interviewing Thompson’s colleagues and family about any potential specific threats, said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, employs more than 100,000 people and is ranked fourth in the Fortune 500. UnitedHealthcare posted more than $281 billion in revenue last year.
