An Arrest, Suspect, and Manifesto: Details Emerge in Shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO
After a manhunt that lasted several days, police arrested a suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Monday. Identified as Luigi Mangione, 26, the suspect was arrested in Pennsylvania on a local firearm charge and declared a person of interest before authorities were able to charge him with one count of murder in connection to Thompson’s death, which has been called a “pre-planned, targeted attack.” Mangione is currently being held in Pennsylvania after fighting extradition to New York City during a hearing on Tuesday.
Here’s everything we know so far as additional details continue to emerge from investigations into the incident.
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UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Murdered in NYC
Thompson, 50, joined UnitedHealth Group in 2004 and cycled through a number of roles before being named UnitedHealthcare CEO in April 2021. He was struck in the back and leg while walking outside of a Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan at around 6:45 a.m. on Dec. 4. Video footage of the attack showed the shooter approaching Thompson from behind after “lying in wait for several minutes,” according to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Thompson was pronounced dead at a nearby Mount Sinai hospital. The incident occurred less than two hours before the annual UnitedHealth Group Investor Conference was scheduled to begin.
The attack was not deemed to be a “random act of violence,” according to Tisch. The shooter did not engage with anyone who passed by while seemingly awaiting the CEO’s arrival. Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News: “Yes, there had been some threats. Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.” Thompson lived in Maple Grove, a suburb in Minnesota. According to the Minneapolis news outlet KARE 11, no official reports of any received threats were filed to local police. However, TMZ obtained police records that stated a bomb threat had recently been made targeting his house, though no bomb was found on the scene.
Bullet Shell Casings Recovered at Shooting Scene Call Out UnitedHealth Group
At the scene of the shooting, law enforcement officials recovered multiple shell casings that were printed with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose.” A number of social media users connected the words to Jay M. Feinman’s Delay, Deny, Defend. The book, published in 2010, explores how and why “insurance companies delay payment of justified claims, deny payment altogether, and defend their actions by forcing claimants to enter litigation,” according to a synopsis.
A press release for the UnitedHealth Group conference Thompson was scheduled to attend detailed: “UnitedHealth Group leaders will discuss the company’s long-term strategic growth priorities and its efforts to advance high-quality health care, including through a continued focus on improving the consumer experience and expanding value-based care.”
In October, the Senate Homeland Security Committee published a report about UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and CVS “intentionally using prior authorization to boost profits by targeting costly yet critical stays in post-acute care facilities” for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. The report stated that in April 2021, an internal committee at UnitedHealthcare approved the use of “Machine Assisted Prior Authorization” to review cases. It found that the implementation of these automated processes coincided with a significant increase in denial rates for prior authorization requests for post-acute care.
Murder Suspect Manhunt Begins in New York
In efforts to locate the shooter, the NYPD released photos allegedly placing the suspect in a nearby Starbucks before the attack. The attire worn in the images matched that of the video footage. Additional photos were shared via official NYPD social media accounts on Thursday, Dec. 5. The person of interest in the set of images was not wearing a mask over his face. It was unclear from the postings whether the images were captured on the same day as the shooting. The NYPD offered $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny noted that the gunman seemed to be “proficient in the use of firearms,” as suggested by his ability to swiftly recover when his gun seemed to jam after he fired his initial shots at Thompson. Video footage of the shooter showed him wearing a black face mask, a hooded jacket, and a backpack of a lighter color. Following the shooting, the suspect fled the scene, initially on foot and later on a bike.
Previous reports suggested that the shooter used a Citi Bike to escape the scene. One user on social media, who said they often “scrape Citi Bike data” to track the location of bikes, attempted to assist in the investigation by narrowing down bikes checked out of nearby docks. A spokesperson for Lyft, which operates Citi Bike, initially vowed to assist law enforcement in its investigation. But according to The New York Times, Lyft stated that it had been informed that Citi Bike was not involved in the escape. The NYPD shifted its focus to the potential use of an unmarked e-bike.
Central Park at the time was marked as his last known location. On Friday, Dec. 6, authorities recovered a backpack in the park believed to be linked to the murder. The backpack was found to contain a Tommy Hilfiger jacket and colorful sheets of paper used as money in the board game Monopoly.
Authorities Arrest Luigi Mangione in Pennsylvania
Mangione was detained by authorities in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Dec. 9. The arrest came after he was recognized at a McDonald’s. He was reportedly found carrying “multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport,” according to Tisch. Officers also recovered a firearm and suppressor believed to have been used in the shooting, as well as clothing and a mask similar to the items worn by the suspect in previously released video footage and photos. “Also recovered was a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching the ID our suspect used to check into his New York City hostel before the shooting incident,” Tisch stated. Mangione is also said to have been carrying a handwritten manifesto that criticized the healthcare industry.
Following his arrest, Mangione was held without bail and did not enter a plea regarding the firearm charge in his first court appearance. He was brought into a Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania courthouse for an extradition hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 10. While being brought into the courthouse, Mangione could be heard shouting: “It’s completely out of touch and is an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience!” During the hearing, the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg released a statement saying it would seek a governor’s warrant to secure Mangione’s extradition to New York. Mangione was charged in Manhattan with one count of murder, two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, one count of second-degree possession of a forged document, and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a firearm.
Mangione Contests Extradition to New York
Mangione contested extradition to New York, where he faces multiple charges, including murder. The contested extradition process can span months. Mangione’s lawyer Thomas Dickey has stated that the primary reason for fighting the extradition is a lack of evidence linking his client to the crime. “We had a brief hearing yesterday, but there is one document – an arrest warrant from the state of New York – which merely referenced a statute. We’ve seen no evidence,” Dickey said on Good Morning America on Wednesday, Dec. 11. “That’s one of the many reasons why we’re challenging the extradition at this point, so we can see some evidence and get a little more detailed information about the charges against Luigi.”
Dickey argued that the gun found on Mangione at the time of the arrest isn’t substantial enough to draw a connection, adding that plenty of guns look similar. “I have not been made aware of any evidence that links the gun that was found on his person to the crime. These are things we’re looking to see,” he said. “If you brought a gun in and said, ‘Well, it looks like that.’ I don’t even know if it would be admissible, and if so, I would argue that it wouldn’t be given much weight.” The recovered weapon, being referred to by authorities as a “ghost gun,” is suspected to have been made out of parts and DIY kits bought online. These firearms are often assembled at home, which largely renders them untraceable. The charging documents state that both the pistol and silencer were 3D-printed.
According to The New York Times, Mangione’s fingerprints were found on ballistic evidence discovered at the crime scene and items recovered nearby, including a discarded water bottle and a protein bar. Authorities also stated that his own identification documents were found on his person alongside the fraudulent documents.
Mangione’s Manifesto Criticized Healthcare Companies
The three-page handwritten manifesto found on Mangione’s person at the time of his arrest reportedly contained criticism of the healthcare industry, particularly the widespread practice of prioritizing profit over patients. The note was brief, only 262 words. According to CNN, it contained the quotes, “These parasites had it coming” and “I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done.” It does not mention Thompson by name but highlights that health insurance companies “continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allowed them to get away with it,” per The Times.
An influx of information revealed in the wake of his arrest has painted Mangione as a member of a prominent Baltimore family connected to a number of local country clubs, healthcare facilities, and real estate companies. The New York Times reported that Mangione’s mother filed a missing-person report on Nov. 18. The 26-year-old had not been in contact with his family for about six months, having effectively disappeared following a spinal fusion surgery. He appeared to suffer from debilitating back pain as a result.
“He does make some indication that he’s frustrated with the health care system in the United States,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said on Dec. 10. “Specifically, he states how we are the number-one most expensive health care system in the world, yet the life expectancy of an American is ranked 42 in the world. So he was writing a lot about his disdain for corporate America and, in particular, the healthcare industry.” An NYPD intelligence report obtained by CNN read: “He appeared to view the targeted killing of the company’s highest-ranking representative as a symbolic takedown and a direct challenge to its alleged corruption and ‘power games,’ asserting in his note he is the ‘first to face it with such brutal honesty.’”
Mangione’s prevalent digital footprint led to the uncovering of his Goodreads account, where he logged sci-fi and pop science books, as well as texts on addressing and overcoming back pain in addition to the manifesto of the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski. “To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone,” another portion of the manifesto reportedly reads. According to CNN, a spiral notebook recovered by authorities included a passage in which Mangione decided against using a bomb to carry out the attack due to concern that it “could kill innocents.” Kenny added: “We don’t think there’s any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document.”
This article was updated with new details and a full timeline of events
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