TRANSCRIPT
Brian Thompson was shot dead by a masked man outside his company’s annual investor conference at a hotel just blocks from New York's Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Centre.
On Friday, following a massive sweep in Central Park covering lakes and ponds, meadows, playgrounds and woods, investigators found a backpack in Central Park that had been worn by the gunman during the shooting.
The contents of the backpack were analysed for clues.
Now, authorities believe they have made a breakthrough.
Eric Adams is the New York city Mayor:
“We have a strong person of interest in the shooting that shook our city last week, CEO Brian Thompson of United Healthcare was the victim of a senseless act of violence.”
Jessica Tisch, New York Police Department Commissioner says they have strong evidence that they have found the alleged shooter at a fast food restaurant in the town of Altoona, Pennsylvania:
“Members of the Altoona Police Department arrested Luigi Mangione, a 26 year old male, on firearms charges. At this time, he is believed to be our person of interest in the brazen, targeted murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthCare, last Wednesday in midtown Manhattan. The suspect was in a McDonald's and was recognized by an employee who then called local police. Responding officers questioned the suspect, who was acting suspiciously and was carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport."
Commissioner Tisch says they also recovered a suspicious weapon:
"Upon further investigation, officers recovered a firearm on his person, as well as a suppressor both consistent with the weapon used in the murder. They also recovered clothing, including a mask consistent with those worn by our wanted individual. Also recovered was a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching the ID our suspect used to check into his New York City hostel before the shooting incident. Additionally, officers recovered a handwritten document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset.”
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny says they already have information about Mangione's background and are combing through his social media to give them more information about his mindset.
“He (Mangione) was born and raised in Maryland. We know he has taught he has ties to San Francisco, California. And his last known address was Honolulu, Hawaii. He has no prior arrest history in New York. Members of the NYPD Detective Bureau are currently traveling to Pennsylvania with members of the Manhattan District Attorney's office to interview this subject.”
Chief Kenny says Mangione appears to harbour some ill will towards corporate America.
The case has sparked a great deal of comment on social media with regard to the practices of America's health insurers.
Author Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez wrote on X, formerly Twitter:
"in 2024, Brian Thompson's leadership led United Healthcare to deny claims to 31.5 million sick Americans. By contrast, undocumented migrants in the USA killed fewer than 20 US citizens during that same time span. Who is your real enemy, America?"
Public health professional Brittany Walling, also writing on X, describes health insurers as 'serial killers'
"United Healthcare and every other for-profit company - especially insurance - are serial killers. They've just done it in a more covert way. The number of people harmed by insurance companies would equal planes full of people falling out of the sky."
