According to police, a “strong person of interest” who was found in possession of a gun and several forged identification documents was taken into custody in Pennsylvania on Monday in relation to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the 26-year-old Altoona man was identified as Luigi Mangione and taken into custody on suspicion of possessing weapons.
According to authorities, he was discovered with a gun that resembled the one used to shoot Thompson last week and a phony identification card that bore the same name as the one the alleged shooter used at a hostel in New York City.
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According to Tisch, authorities also found a handwritten letter that reflects his motivation and attitude.
According to investigators, the individual being questioned was at an Altoona McDonald’s when a staff member alerted the police because they felt he was suspicious.
According to officials, Mangione had a last known address in Hawaii, was born and reared in Maryland, and had connections to San Francisco. He has never been arrested before.
“We think we have a strong person of interest,” stated Eric Adams, the mayor of New York.
According to New York City officials, Altoona police now have the three handwritten pages of the document that spoke to his motivation.
Whether Thompson was mentioned in those letters by the man in prison was not immediately apparent.
Law enforcement sources told NBC News that investigators are also examining the 26-year-old’s internet posts on domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski.
Kaczynski, whose bombs murdered three people, had long expressed disapproval of the problems in contemporary America and had other anti-establishment beliefs.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny stated, “We don’t think that there’s any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document.” “But it does seem that he has some ill will toward corporate America.”
Additionally, the man in detention possessed a weapon that may have been homemade and hence unreported to any government or law enforcement organization.
According to the information we’re receiving from Altoona, Kenny stated that the gun might have been manufactured using a 3D printer and looks to be a ghost gun.
He was in possession of a silencer and a ghost pistol that could fire 9 mm rounds.
According to the police, the arrest was made possible in large part by the public’s assistance.
Kenney stated, “There are a lot of linchpins in this case.” “We’ve recovered an enormous amount of forensic evidence, an enormous amount of video, and once again, with your help, the public’s help.”
According to the commissioner, police discovered a phony ID used at a hostel in New York City and clothing that matched that of the alleged shooter.
“Mark Rosario,” a 26-year-old Maplewood resident, was stated as the name on a fake New Jersey driver’s license, according to a photograph of the ID that NBC New York was able to obtain.
According to several law enforcement sources who spoke to NBC News, that identity is the same one that Thompson’s alleged killer used to check into a hostel in New York the days prior to the attack.
“Multiple fraudulent IDs as well as a U.S. passport,” Tisch said, describing the individual in arrest. However, authorities don’t think he was planning a global getaway.
“We don’t believe that he was planning on doing any traveling at this time,” added Kenny. “We don’t think he was trying to flee the country.”
About 280 miles from Altoona, Thompson was slain by a masked attacker who came up behind the New York Hilton Midtown.
The health care executive was thought to be the shooter’s sole target because other pedestrians had passed him before he shot Thompson.
According to camera footage, the gunman started shooting at 6:45 a.m. before escaping into Central Park on foot and then a bike, according to investigators.According to investigators, the last video of the suspected shooter showed him at an Upper Manhattan bus depot.
Deny, delay, and depose were scrawled in marker on three of the discovered pieces of ammo, one on each, according to the police.
In addition to the $10,000 provided by the NYPD and Crime Stoppers, the FBI has also announced a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the gunman’s capture.
A UnitedHealthcare spokeswoman stated on Monday, “We hope that today’s apprehension brings some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues, and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy.” “We thank law enforcement and will continue to work with them on this investigation.”
Thompson’s passing shocked the business and medical communities, prompting concerns about the proper amount of security for senior leaders.
As social media feeds were overrun with tweets cheering or at least defending Thompson’s murder, the shooting also revealed a deep, visceral animosity against private health care firms.
According to his wife Paulette Thompson, Thompson, who lived in Minnesota, had received threats recently but had not changed his travel schedule.
At the time of the incident, he was not accompanied by a security detail.
Hours after the attack, Paulette Thompson acknowledged that there had been some threats. Basically, a lack of coverage, I guess? Details are unknown to me. All I know is that he claimed that some individuals had been threatening him.
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