Dec. 18 update
CNN reported on Dec. 17 that a Manhattan grand jury indicted Luigi Mangione for murder as an act of terrorism in the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. CNN said that this information came from court documents that were recently released.
The article stated, “Mangione faces 11 counts, including one of murder in the first-degree and two of murder in the second-degree in Thompson’s killing on December 4 in New York, along with other weapon and forgery charges, the indictment says.”
Further, “Prosecutors accuse the 26-year-old of killing Thompson ‘in furtherance of an act of terrorism,’ which is legally defined by an intent to intimidate or coerce the civilian population or a government unit.”
Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo told CNN that he will not fight extradition to New York. On Thursday, Mangione will appear in court in Pennsylvania for the extradition hearing.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office told CNN that Mangione faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole if he is convicted.
Dec. 10 update
After yesterday's arrest of Luigi Mangione in Pennsylvania, NPR reported, "Mangione was taken into custody by police in Altoona, Penn., after he was recognized at a local McDonald's and reported to authorities.
"He is facing charges that include murder, illegal possession of a firearm and lying about his identity.
"At the time of his arrest, Mangione had with him a ghost gun thought to be used in the shooting, a fake ID and three pages of text possibly indicating his motive, police said."
Police have stated that Mangione has no criminal history.
Currently, Mangione is being held in Pennsylvania and according to the article from NPR, New York law enforcement officials are drafting charges against him. "He is expected to be extradited there, though it is unclear when," the article said.
No attorney is listed, as of Monday night, for Mangione.
Dec. 9 update
At midday on Monday, December 9, New York City law enforcement authorities and Mayor Eric Adams held a press conference at which they announced that they had apprehended a man in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan on Wednesday, Dec. 4, reported Mark Hagland of Healthcare Innovation.
Currently, the man is being held on gun charges.
Hagland reported. "As CNN's Elise Hammond reported, the person of interest in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, identified as Luigi Mangione, was 'sitting there eating at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa., on Monday morning [at about 9:15 AM], when an employee of that restaurant called the police,' New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told the assembled press. 'Luckily, a citizen in Pennsylvania recognized our subject and called local law enforcement,' he said. Kenny said that 'at this point in our investigation, we don’t think he was trying to flee the country.'
Further, Hagland wrote "CNN’s John Miller reported on Monday afternoon that, 'Among the lines in the two-page document found on “strong person of interest' Luigi Mangione are the following two quotes: 'These parasites had it coming' and 'I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done,' a police official who has seen the document told CNN. In the note, Mangione says he acted alone and that he was self-funded. The document railed against the health care industry and suggested violence is the answer, according to the official.'"
Hagland also reported on a story from the New York Daily News that based on Mangione's writings "has 'ill will toward corporate America.'" Some of the readings Mangione read this year, according to GoodReads, is Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski’s Industrial Society and its Future, which he rated four out of five stars.
Hagland continued, "Mangione was carrying a gun, a silencer and other false identification cards similar to those they believe the killer used in New York, according to one of the law enforcement officials and a person briefed on the investigation. Mr. Mangione showed the police the same fake New Jersey identification that the man believed to be the gunman presented when he checked into a hostel on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Nov. 24, a senior law enforcement official said."
The New York Times reported on Monday afternoon that “The gun appears to be a so-called ghost gun, assembled from parts that may have been made from a 3-D printer, Chief Kenny said. Mr. Mangione was also carrying a handwritten manifesto that criticized health care companies for putting profits above care, according to two law enforcement officials. He was born and raised in Maryland, and has lived in San Francisco and Honolulu, the police said.”
Further, the New York Times reporters wrote, “On social media, a man named Luigi Mangione posted pictures of his travels with friends and family. A person with the same name attended a private high school in the Baltimore area, where he wrestled and became valedictorian, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with degrees in engineering, according to a school commencement program. Mr. Mangione is in custody on local charges, the official said, possibly related to presenting the fake identification to the police. He has not been arrested or charged in connection with the killing. New York police investigators are traveling to Altoona, in western Pennsylvania, about 280 miles from the city, according to one of the law enforcement officials.”
“The article referenced in this update originally ran as “BREAKING: Police Apprehend Suspect in Murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO” on Healthcare Innovation, an Endeavor Business Media partner site.”
Dec. 6 update
Currently, the gunman who shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is still at large, according to the most recent coverage from CNN.
An update from the outlet from late last night broke down what is known so far.
Authorities say that the suspect traveled by Greyhound bus to New York, arriving in New York 10 days (Nov. 24) before the shooting. The gunman checked into an Upper West Side hostel, left on Nov. 29, and checked back in using a fake New Jersey driver’s license when checking back in on Nov. 30. The suspect is believed to have worn a mask for most of the stay.
CNN reported, “A woman working at the hostel told authorities that, at one point, she asked the man to lower his mask while flirting with him. This is when photos of him smiling were captured, which were later released by police.”
Further, police say they were able to get a fingerprint from a water bottle that the suspect left behind at the site of the shooting. Although, the print is smudged. Authorities also found a phone near the scene of the crime that could potentially belong to the gunman.
CNN continued, “'Delay’ and ‘depose’ were found on a live round and shell casing tied to the shooter. Police are exploring whether the words indicate a motive, pointing to a popular phrase in the insurance industry: ‘delay, deny, defend.’”
Investigators are using footage to help track the suspect’s movements in New York City.
Dec. 4
The New York Times reported on Dec. 4 that the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was fatally shot outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
Thompson took the role of CEO in 2021.
The New York Post reported that “Brian Thompson, 50, was at the hotel around 6:46 a.m., arriving early for a conference, when a masked man allegedly waiting for him fired at the CEO repeatedly and fled eastbound off 6th Avenue, police sources told The Post.”
The Post also added that the police say this was a targeted attack.
Janette Wider | Editor-in-Chief
Janette Wider is Editor-in-Chief for Healthcare Purchasing News.
