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A 26-year-old man was arrested Monday on local charges in Altoona, Pa., according to New York City police, who described him as a “person of interest” in last week’s shooting of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson.
Officials confirmed Altoona police arrested Luigi Mangione on weapons charges. He had not been charged in connection with the shooting as of 5 p.m. Monday, nor had he been officially named as a suspect.
He was arrested after a tip from an employee at an Altoona McDonald’s who saw him eating there.
Police said Mangione was carrying a handgun, a silencer and a fraudulent New Jersey ID with a name consistent with the one the suspect used to check into a hostel before the shooting.
Here’s what we know so far:
Mangione has Maryland roots
According to police, Mangione was born and raised in Maryland and had most recently lived in Honolulu.
Mangione was reportedly the valedictorian of the class of 2016 at the Gilman School, an all-boys prep school in Baltimore. In a graduation speech, he thanked his parents and classmates for sending him to the school, which he said was “far from a small financial investment”.
Mangione graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering, the university confirmed.
Local outlets have been confirmed he is also the cousin of Maryland state delegate Nino Mangione. The Hill has reached out to Mangione’s office for more information.
The Mangione family has extensive ties to the Baltimore area. They own an AM radio station and a couple of country clubs.
The manifesto points to possible reasons
Police have not released a possible motive for Thompson’s murder, although police said Mangione was in possession of a three-page handwritten manifesto. Officials would not elaborate publicly, except to say there are no apparent threats to others.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said the document showed Mangione “has some ill will toward corporate America.”
According to CNN, the manifesto read “These parasites had it coming” and “I apologize for any conflict and trauma, but it had to be done.”
Wednesday’s shooting, which happened as Thompson was on his way to speak at an investor conference, unleashed a torrent of anger against America’s health care system and, specifically, insurance companies.
The bullet casings found at the scene were as reported inscribed with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose,” though officials have not confirmed that.
Mangione had no known criminal record in New York, police said.
Wide range of followers on social networks
Mangione’s apparent social media account activated X a number of people from across the political spectrum followed.
Some of those figures include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), prominent vaccine skeptic and potential Health and Human Services chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr., National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden and podcaster Joe Rogan.
Non-political figures on the list below include Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and Bret Weinstein, Scott Galloway, Jonathan Haidt, Ezra Klein and Jackass’ Steve-o podcast.
Earlier this year, Mangione apparently left a four-star review on Goodreads for Ted Kaczynski’s The Unabomber Manifesto, aka “Industrial Society and Its Future.”
“He was a violent individual, rightfully imprisoned, maiming innocent people. Although these actions are often characterized as those of a mad Luddite, they are more accurately seen as those of an extreme political revolutionary.” Mangione wrote.
ghost gun
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione was in possession of a “ghost gun,” which may have been made with a 3D printer, that was capable of firing 9mm ammunition.
Ghost guns have become an emerging threat to public safety, targeted at the state and local level to allow criminals to evade gun regulations.
A ghost gun is usually sold in a kit and built at home without serial numbers or background checks.
