Luigi Manigione has been charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO.
On December 4, Thompson was “shot in the back and leg” (NEWS NATION) and was pronounced dead after being rushed to Mount Sinai West Hospital. Following the shooting, it was stated that it appeared to be a targeted attack, after investigators found the words, ” ‘deny’, ‘defend’, and ‘depose’, written in permanent marker on ammunition at the scene. The words mimic a phrase used by insurance industry critics” (AP).
The search began, where investigators began, “scouring surveillance cameras to trace the suspect, and combing through Thompson’s phone and social media to see if he received any personal threats” (CBS). The surveillance footage that began to surface over social media showed Thompson, “walking down the street when the suspect appears behind him, takes aim, and shoots him once in the back. Thompson falls to the ground, as the gunman appears to clear a jam from his gun and fires again. The gunman then fires a third time before running across the street” (CBS).
The surveillance video also showed that the gunman waited for several minutes, with the timeline on December 4,
About 5:30 a.m. — The suspected shooter leaves the hostel well before dawn.
5:41 a.m. — He appears on video at 54th Street and Sixth Avenue walking back and forth in the area of the Hilton hotel where United Healthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, is holding its annual investor conference.
Police deduce that he rode a bicycle to the Hilton because it took him such a short time to get there. “Could he have stolen the bike? These are things we’re still looking into,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
At some point, he went to a nearby Starbucks and purchased a bottle of water and at least one energy bar before returning to the hotel.
6:44 a.m. — He shoots Thompson as the executive arrives alone, on foot, having walked from a hotel across the street. The man flees.” (AP)
Following the shooting the gunman fled into Central Park on a bicycle, where NYPD were under the belief that the gunman had gone to the bus terminal near the Geroge Washington Bridge, where they left the city. There was no footage of the suspect getting on a bus to NYC.
NYPD released the following images during the days of searching for the gunman:
During the search, officers located a backpack suspected to be the gunman’s. The contents inside the bag were later revealed to be “a jacket and Monopoly money”(NEWS NATION).
After 3 days of searching, reports of a man who matched the description of the gunman were spotted at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennslyvania, which led to police responding to the scene where, “Authorities then arrested Luigi Magione, 26, initially charging him with forgery, carrying firearms without a license, having “instruments of a crime,” tampering with records or information and false identification to law enforcement. Court records show a murder charge was added hours after” (NEWS NATION).
Mangione was said to have matched the description of the suspect as he, “also had with him a mask, firearm, suppressor and fake New Jersey ID that connected him to the shooting, police said” (NEWS NATION).
Previously it was stated that the suspect had fled to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station and left New York City on a bus. Investigators are now under the belief that “the suspect took the A subway line back down to Penn Station in Midtown, where they are looking into whether he traveled by train to Pennsylvania. The NYPD was working with Pennsylvania State Police and Altoona police to track Mangione’s movements while he was in Pennsylvania” (CBS NEWS).
Further information began to rise that Mangione was not a UnitedHealthcare customer, which led to officials’ speculation that Mangione had targeted Thompson based on his public standing as the largest health insurer in the US. It was also stated that Mangione may have had hostility towards the healthcare industry, “The NYPD said it appears Mangione suffered a debilitating back injury on July 4, 2023, that required a visit to an emergency room and subsequently screws on his spine..According to the NYPD, Mangione was in possession of notebook paper that had handwritten notes that expressed disdain for corporate America, in particular the health care industry” (CBS).
“The mounting evidence against the suspect accused of killing Thompson, authorities say, includes a 3D-printed gun they allege Mangione had when he was arrested, which matches three shell casings found at the crime scene. Mangione’s fingerprints match those found on items near the scene,.. investigators discovered a three-page handwritten “claim of responsibility” and writings in a spiral notebook pointing to the suspect’s involvement, a law enforcement source briefed on the matter” (CNN).
Mangione now faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted on the second-degree murder charges, as he is due in court next week on December 30, for a preliminary hearing in Pennsylvania on state charges for the charges of the possession of a gun and fake ID.
