NEW YORK — After an extensive investigation involving the review of security camera footage, numerous tips from the public, and even searching a lake with scuba divers, law enforcement officials announced the arrest of an individual in connection with the death of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO last week outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
The ordeal unraveled shortly after Brian Thompson was shot on the street in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The individual believed to be the shooter managed to escape on a bicycle, making his way to Central Park before eventually taking a taxi to a bus station that serves several states.
On Monday morning, a tip from a McDonald’s located approximately 233 miles away in Altoona, Pennsylvania, led to the apprehension of 26-year-old Luigi Nicholas Mangione. Authorities report that he was discovered with a weapon believed to be the firearm used in Thompson’s murder.
Key details from the timeline of events include:
**Nov. 24**
At 10:11 p.m., the suspect arrived in New York City via Greyhound bus at the Port Authority terminal, having traveled from Atlanta with multiple stops along the way. The precise location where he boarded the bus is still unclear. He then took a taxi to the vicinity of the New York Hilton Midtown, spending approximately half an hour in the area.
Shortly after 11 p.m., the individual checked into the HI New York City Hostel on Amsterdam Avenue, using an ID that is suspected to be counterfeit. There were two roommates in the shared accommodation who reportedly never saw his face, as he consistently wore a mask. He was captured on camera in the lobby, briefly pulling down his mask to smile at a staff member, a moment that has been shared widely by the police.
On **Nov. 29**, he was automatically checked out of the hostel when he failed to report to the front desk by the mandated time. Police believe he did not stay elsewhere and instead returned to the same hostel the following day.
**Dec. 4**
At around 5:30 a.m., the suspect departed from the hostel before dawn.
By 5:41 a.m., he was captured on surveillance footage near the Hilton Hotel, where UnitedHealth Group was hosting an annual investor conference. Detectives surmised that he rode a bicycle to the hotel based on his quick arrival time. Investigators are still exploring the possibility of whether he may have stolen the bike.
During this time, he stopped at a Starbucks to buy a bottle of water and some snacks before heading back to the hotel. At 6:44 a.m., he shot Thompson as the executive arrived on foot from a nearby hotel. Following the shooting, he fled.
At 6:48 a.m., the suspect entered Central Park by bicycle through the 60th Street entrance, where police believe he discarded a gray backpack, evading cameras in the area. He exited the park at 7 a.m., no longer with the bicycle, and hailed a taxi shortly after.
By 7:30 a.m., he was near the George Washington Bridge and the bus station that provides service to New Jersey and various key cities in the Northeast.
Investigators later discovered “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” scrawled in permanent marker on ammunition found at the scene, terms that mirror sentiments expressed by critics of the insurance industry.
By **Dec. 6**, law enforcement concluded that the suspect likely left New York City on a bus but could not identify any video evidence of his departure from the station.
The following day, police intensified their search efforts in Central Park, employing scuba divers to explore a pond. They released additional surveillance images of the suspect captured in a taxi, where he was wearing a blue medical-style mask.
On **Dec. 9**, authorities in Altoona responded to a report at a McDonald’s, leading to Mangione’s arrest on unrelated charges. He was found in possession of a weapon believed to be linked to the shooting, as well as materials indicating animosity toward corporate America. Officers also found clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the shooter, along with a fraudulent New Jersey ID that matched the identification used to check into the hostel.
This account has been updated to clarify the wording found on the bullets; the terms are now correctly noted as “delay,” “deny,” and “depose.” Previously, conflicting information about the wording had been conveyed by a law enforcement source.
