Prime suspect in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO appears in court after being arrested in McDonald's with manifesto
10 December 2024, 02:19 | Updated: 10 December 2024, 02:44
The prime suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has appeared in court.
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Police arrested 26-year-old Luigi Nicholas Mangione on Monday after a McDonald's employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania, alerted authorities.
The ivy-league graduate was found with a manifesto criticising healthcare bosses as well as a gun and mask.
Mangione was ordered to be held without bail during a brief court hearing.
Asked if he needed a public defender, he asked if he could "answer that at a future date".
Mangione, who was charged with weapons, forgery and other charges, will be extradited to New York to face charges in connection with Mr Thompson's death.
Mr Thompson was shot several times outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan where he was set to speak at an event later in the day.
The 50-year-old was rushed to hospital but later died.
His death launched a nationwide manhunt, as police desperately looked for clues of the suspect's location.
“At this time, he is believed to be our person of interest in the brazen targeted murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of United Healthcare,” New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Tisch said a "combination of old-school detective work and new age technology" helped police track this suspected shooter.
Mangione was found with a "handwritten document" - described in some reports as a "manifesto".
He was sitting at a table in the rear of the McDonald's wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a laptop computer, documents said.
When an officer asked if he had been to New York recently, he "became quiet and started to shake".
In his backpack, police also found a black, 3D-printed pistol and a 3D-printed black silencer, according to documents.
The pistol had a metal slide and plastic handle with a metal threaded barrel.
He was taken into custody about 9.15am, Pennsylvania police said.
"We should never underestimate the power of the public to be our eyes and ears," Tisch said.
"Now the case will continue through the criminal justice process. And while we are proud of today's accomplishment, we must of course remember that a family is in mourning."
"We don't think there's any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document," police said, "but it does seem he has some ill will towards corporate America".
It is believed he acted alone.
CCTV shows moment Brian Thompson is shot in New York
"Today at 9:14 am, Altoona Police Officers were dispatched to a McDonald’s Restaurant for reports of a male matching the description of the United Healthcare CEO murder suspect” the police department said in a statement.
“Officers made contact with the male who was subsequently arrested on unrelated charges.”
On what appears to be his Goodreads account Mangione has read and reviewed the manifesto of Ted Kaczynski, the anit-capitalist known as the Unabomber.
In the review, he writes: "These companies don’t care about you, or your kids, or your grandkids. They have zero qualms about burning down the planet for a buck, so why should we have any qualms about burning them down to survive?
"We’re animals just like everything else on this planet, except we’ve forgotten the law of the jungle and bend over for our overlords when any other animal would recognize the threat and fight to the death for their survival.
"'Violence never solved anything'” is a statement uttered by cowards and predators."
