Police have arrested a person of interest in the health care CEO shooting
The Hunt for Luigi Mangione, the Charged Criminally-Induced Shooting at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania
As praise poured in for the act of violent vigilantism, some companies removed the biographical information and photos of their executive leadership from their websites.
Mangione was arrested in connection with the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione, of Maryland, was detained at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Monday morning.
Mangione was taken into custody on local firearm charges, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters. He has not been charged with a crime but is thought to be the person of interest.
During the press conference featuring the NYPD police chief and embattled Mayor Eric Adams, police said an employee at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, recognized Mangione from photos made public by police and called local authorities.
Police have been searching for Thompson’s killer for nearly a week, despite the shooting taking place in public outside a Manhattan hotel. The manhunt has thus far relied on just a few grainy images of a man whose face is largely obscured by a mask and hoodie. Investigators have reportedly been looking for more surveillance images of the suspect to load into facial recognition software.
The shooting’s apparent anti-insurance motivation has led to expressions of support across the political spectrum for the assailant. According to sleuths, several online profiles that look like they are linked to Mangione, including a Goodreads account on which he gave a positive review of Industrial Society and Its Future, the book by Ted Kaczynski.
Ted Kaczynski, who wrote the anti-technology essay in the book “Unabomber”, wrote an online review for “Luigi Mangione” of the book “Industrial Society and Its Future.” This reviewer wrote that it was easy to quickly and thoughtless write the essay off But it’s simply impossible to ignore how prescient many of his predictions about modern society turned out.”
In the wake of the shooting, some critics expressed that it could have been the outcome of a system that prioritized profits over well-being.
On social media, images of the suspected shooter — mask down and smiling in surveillance camera footage — were circulated as the face of a modern-day folk hero who had taken action against a system perceived to be rife with corruption.
Police were led to Mangione via a “combination of old-school detective work and new age technology,” Tisch said. We deployed drones, K-9 units, and scuba divers. The domain awareness system, argos cameras, and aviation canvases were used.
The NYPD arrest of a man in Pennsylvania for allegedly shooting a health care executive in the afternoon after Thompson’s shooting, killing Brian Thompson
NYPD investigators at the scene of Thompson’s shooting found bullet bullets with words like “delay,” “depose,” and “deny” on them, likely references to how health insurance companies refuse to cover customers’ medical claims. Mangione was carrying a “manifesto” that criticized health care companies for putting profits above care, according to the Times.
Authorities arrested a man in Pennsylvania on Monday who police say is connected to the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last week.
UnitedHealthcare did not immediately respond to a request for comment from WIRED. In a statement provided to other media outlets, a company spokesperson said: “Our hope is 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. Everyone should respect the family’s privacy as they mourn.