Luigi Mangione in custody over UnitedHealthcare CEO murder investigation — What police found

A significant breakthrough in the investigation into the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has come with the arrest of a “strong person of interest” on Monday (December 9). The suspect, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a quick-thinking McDonald’s employee alerted authorities about a suspicious customer.

Arrest details and investigation

According to officials, Mangione was found with a weapon—believed to match the one used in the killing—and writings indicating anger toward corporate America. Police identified the weapon as a ghost gun, an untraceable firearm assembled at home without a serial number. In addition to the gun, authorities reportedly discovered a silencer, fake IDs, and evidence critical of the health insurance industry.

The arrest followed a tip from a McDonald’s employee who spotted Mangione in Altoona. NYPD officials believe this was a vital lead in identifying the suspect responsible for the ambush that killed Brian Thompson in Manhattan last Wednesday as he was walking to the company’s annual investor conference.

Background on the suspect

Luigi Mangione has ties to San Francisco, was born and raised in Maryland, and currently has Honolulu, Hawaii, as his last known residence. Mangione graduated from University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science. His social media posts and affiliations suggest a history of participation in fraternity activities and academic programs linked to Stanford University.

Ongoing investigation

NYPD officials are backtracking Mangione's path from New York City to Pennsylvania as part of their investigation. Despite the arrest, the investigation remains active as officials assess Mangione’s motives and connections to the crime.

The FBI and NYPD continue to monitor for further leads and have bolstered efforts to verify the origin of the suspect's weapon and his actions leading up to Thompson's death.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson targeted in fatal Manhattan shooting

Brian Thompson, 50, was fatally shot outside a Manhattan hotel early Wednesday by a masked assailant who appeared to target him specifically. Surveillance footage shows the suspect fleeing the scene, entering Central Park, and taking a taxi to a bus station in northern Manhattan, likely using a bus to leave the city.

Police discovered shell casings at the scene with the words "deny," "defend," and "depose" carved into them—terms connected to a 2010 book critical of the insurance industry titled Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It. Authorities believe this suggests the motive may relate to frustrations with the corporate sector or financial grievances.