A “strong person of interest” was arrested in Pennsylvania on Monday, after finding he had a fake ID with the same name as the one used by the suspected killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, officials said.
The 26-year-old man in Altoona was identified as Luigi Mangione and arrested on weapons charges, NPYD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
“Additionally, officers recovered a handwritten document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset,” Tisch told reporters.
New York Mayor Eric Adams added: “We believe we have a strong person of interest.”
The person being questioned was at a McDonald’s, where customers thought he looked suspicious and called police, three law enforcement sources said.
He was found to have a fake New Jersey ID, a gun similar to the one used to kill Thompson and a silencer, two senior law enforcement sources said. The name on that fake ID was Marc Rosario, matching the name used by Thompson’s alleged killer to check into a New York hostel days before the attack, the sources said.
The man being questioned was found with a gun similar to the one used in last Wednesday’s deadly shooting, two senior law enforcement officials said.
Thompson was gunned down in front of the New York Hilton Midtown, about 280 miles from Altoona, by a masked assailant who approached from behind.
The killer opened fire at around 6:45 a.m., surveillance footage showed, before fleeing on foot and then on a bike into Central Park, authorities said. The last footage of the alleged gunman put him at bus depot in Upper Manhattan, police said.
Investigators are looking into whether the man being questioned in Altoona arrived there by bus from Philadelphia, about 240 miles away, law enforcement sources said.
The FBI has posted a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the gunman — in addition to the combined $10,000 already offered by Crime Stoppers and the NYPD.
Thompson’s slaying sent shock waves throughout the corporate and health care worlds, raising questions about appropriate security for top level executives.
The shooting also exposed a deep, ugly resentment against private health care companies as social media feeds were flooded with posts celebrating — or at least justifying — Thompson’s slaying.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
