Brian Thompson shooting latest: Person of Interest ‘no longer cooperative’ with cops after being arrested on gun charges
Luigi Mangione, 26, is now being held without bond as officials said they plan to file homicide charges
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Police say the man arrested in Pennsylvania as a person of interest in the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Monday initially cooperated with police, but was no longer talking to investigators.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was spotted at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, by a patron who recognized him from the images circulated by the NYPD following last week’s shooting and alerted police.
He was arraigned Monday evening on gun charges and is being held without bond. Charges in New York in connection to the killing are expected to be filed “soon,” officials said.
The prep school valedictorian was carrying a ghost gun believed to be the one used in the shooting, a suppresser, “multiple fraudulent IDs,” and a handwritten, three-page manifesto that allegedly slammed the health care system. Police have not given an official motive behind the killing.
During a press conference after the arrest, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro condemned those who had celebrated the New York shooting, calling the gunman “no hero.”
“In America, we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint,” Shapiro said.
Who is Brian Thompson? Everything we know about the UnitedHealthcare CEO and his murder in New York City
‘He is no hero’: Pennsylvania governor rips people praising UnitedHealthcare CEO’s suspect killer
What is a ghost gun? Police link untraceable firearm to suspect Luigi Mangione in CEO death
A timeline of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the search for his killer
‘Are you OK?’: Social media users left messages of concern with Mangione before shooting
Social media users who claimed to know Luigi Mangione left comments on his X account before the 26-year-old became a person of interest in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to an analysis from The Daily Beast.
“Thinking of you and prayers everyday in your name,” user @Collin30923201P wrote on November 25, over a week before the fatal Manhattan shooting took place. “Know you are missed and loved.”
“@PepMangione Hey, are you ok? Nobody has heard from you in months, and apparently your family is looking for you,” another X user @TheRealMandusa wrote on October 30.
NYPD and FBI arrive in Pennsylvania to question person of interest
The NYPD and FBI have arrived in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where they will question a person of interest in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to Republican Rep. John Joyce of Pennsylvania.
“Just in the last 30 minutes, the FBI and the NYPD have arrived at the Altoona Police Department’s headquarters,” Joyce told CNN.
Luigi Mangione was arrested by local police on firearm charges but in order to be charged in New York, he would need to be extradited there.
Mangione was ‘a totally normal guy’ in school, former classmate says
Luigi Mangione’s former college classmate told CNN that he remembers the 26-year-old as being a “totally normal guy.”
The two attended University of Pennsylvania together.
The classmate asked the news outlet not to be named.
Luigi Mangione was valedictorian at elite prep school
Luigi Mangione, the man arrested on firearm charges who is also a person of interest in the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, attended a Baltimore private school for boys, graduating as valedictorian from the Gilman School in 2016, the Associated Press reported.
In his speech, Mangione described his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things,” according to a post on the school website. He praised their collective inventiveness and pioneering mindset.
Gilman is one of Baltimore’s most elite prep schools. Some of the city’s wealthiest and most prominent people, including Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., have had children attend the school.
Mangione told the local news outlet Baltimore Fishbowl that he planned to pursue a dual degree in artificial intelligence at the University of Pennsylvania.
He had learned to code in high school and helped start a club at Penn for people interested in gaming and game design, according to a 2018 story in Penn Today, a campus publication.
His posts also suggest that he belonged to the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. They also show him taking part in a 2019 program at Stanford University, and in photos with family and friends in Hawaii, San Diego, Puerto Rico, the New Jersey shore and other destinations.
UnitedHealthcare spokesperson releases statement
“Our hope is that today’s apprehension brings some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy,” the statement said.
“We thank law enforcement and will continue to work with them on this investigation. We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy as they mourn.”
Luigi Mangione was a head counselor at Stanford in 2019
Mangione was employed as a head counselor in the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies Program from May through September of 2019, Stanford University confirmed.
Photos on Mangione’s Facebook page show him on campus and on a trip to the nearby San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Ghost gun may have been made on 3D printer
When Mangione, the person of interest, was taken in for questioning on Monday, he was in possession of a ghost gun that may have been made on a 3D printer.
The ghost gun had the capability of firing a nine millimeter round and a suppressor.
Mangione has been arrested on firearm charges, authorities said.
Person of interest gave the Unabomber’s manifesto four stars on Goodreads
The person of interest in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson appears to have left a positive review for the Unabomber’s manifesto online earlier this year, and praised the killer as a “political revolutionary.”
Police named Luigi Mangione as a “strong person of interest” on Monday after taking him into custody in connection with the killing.
An account under that name on book review website Goodreads, that also matches photos of the suspect on other social media platforms, gave Ted Kaczynski’s book a four-star review in January.
Rich Hall reports:
Person of interest in CEO shooting gave the Unabomber’s manifesto four-star review
Police named Luigi Mangione as a ‘strong person of interest’ after taking him into custody on Monday
‘It had to be done’
A document was found on the person of interest, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Monday.
It reportedly slammed the healthcare industry and said “it had to be done,” allegedly referring to a top healthcare executive’s killing, a law enforcement official told CNN.
“These parasites had it coming” and “I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done,” were written in the document.
It was also noted that he acted alone and that he was self-funded.
Kenny said the document is currently in the possession of the Altoona Police Department.
“We don’t think there’s any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document, but it does seem that he has some ill will towards corporate America,” he added.
Everything we know about Luigi Mangione
Authorities on Monday identified a “strong person of interest” who was arrested on firearms charges and was being questioned in connection to the murder ofUnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside his Manhattan hotel early last Wednesday.
The man was identified Monday afternoon as Luigi Mangione, 26, who was recognized by the employee, authorities said at a press conference.
Read more:
What to know about the ‘strong person of interest’ in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting
Authorities arrested the person of interest on firearms charges after a six-day manhunt