Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old person of interest in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, was arrested Monday morning at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
The NYPD confirmed that Mangione was carrying a two-page, handwritten manifesto that condemned the healthcare industry and declared violence as the solution to its perceived flaws.
Chilling Details From the Manifesto
“This had to be done,” Mangione allegedly wrote, calling healthcare executives “parasites” and justifying his actions despite acknowledging the “strife and trauma” they caused. The manifesto also stated that he acted alone and self-funded the crime, according to a police source who spoke to CNN.
Ties to the Crime Scene
Mangione was apprehended with a fake New Jersey ID matching the one used at a New York hostel before the murder. He also had a “ghost gun” equipped with a suppressor, consistent with the weapon described in Thompson’s targeted killing.
A ghost gun is a firearm without a serial number, and police believe the one used in last week’s shooting of Brian Thompson may have been made with a 3D printer. It was capable of firing 9 mm rounds. The man arrested in the crime, Luigi Mangione, also had sound suppressor, or silencer, police said.
Brazen Midtown Attack
Thompson, 50, was gunned down near the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan around 6:45 a.m. last Wednesday. Authorities released surveillance photos showing the suspect at an Upper West Side hostel shortly before he traveled to the crime scene.
Cryptic Messages on Shell Casings
Adding to the mystery, bullets and shell casings found at the scene were engraved with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose,” sparking widespread speculation about Mangione’s motives.
Police are now piecing together Mangione’s history, manifesto, and actions in what appears to be a meticulously planned and ideologically driven crime. Investigations are ongoing as the suspect remains in custody.
