New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday the arrest of a “person of extreme interest” in connection with the murder of Brian Thompson, a UnitedHealth executive. UNH.Noutside a hotel in midtown Manhattan last week.
Luigi Mangione He was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after he was seen at a McDonald’s by someone who believed he resembled the gunman in the shooting, authorities said at a news conference.
Thompson, 50, was shot outside a Manhattan hotel early Wednesday morning by a man who appeared to be waiting for his arrival before shooting the executive in the back.
Police have not publicly released a motive but said Thompson appears to have been deliberately targeted.
Several media outlets reported that the words “deny,” “defend” and “surrender” were etched into shell casings found at the scene, reminiscent of the title of a critical book about the insurance industry published in 2010 entitled “Delay.” “Deny, defend: why insurance companies don’t pay insurance claims and what can be done about it” “insurers don’t pay and what can be done about it”)
The suspect fled the scene and then rode his bicycle into Central Park. Surveillance video shows him leaving the park and taking a taxi to a bus terminal in northern Manhattan, where police believe he caught a bus to escape the city.
Thompson, a father of two, has been CEO of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance division since April 2021, ending a 20-year career with the company. He was in New York to attend the company’s annual investor conference.
A UnitedHealth spokesman declined to comment on the latest reports.
Who is Luigi Mangione?
After the arrest and identity of the person in question was confirmed, Luigi Mangione’s profile went viral.
He is a young man who received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
On his profile, he posted bare-chested photos and another X-ray showing fingernails on his lower back.
Authorities will confirm whether it is Thompson’s assailant.