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 UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Officials confirmed Altoona police arrested Luigi Mangione on gun charges. He has not been charged in connection with the shooting as of 5 p.m. Monday, nor was he officially named as a suspect.
He was arrested following a tip from an employee at a McDonald’s in Altoona, who saw him eating there.
Police said Mangione was carrying a gun, silencer and a fraudulent New Jersey ID with a name on it consistent with the one the suspect used to check into a hostel ahead of 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 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 those of his classmates for sending them to the school, which he said was “far from a small financial investment.”
Mangione graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with a degree in engineering, the university confirmed.
Local outlets confirmed he is also the cousin of Nino Mangione (R), a Maryland state delegate. The Hill has contacted Mangione’s office for more information.
The Mangione family has extensive Baltimore-area ties. They own an AM talk radio station and a pair of country clubs.
Manifesto points to possible motive
Police have not released a possible motive in Thompson’s killing, though police said Mangione possessed a three-page handwritten manifesto. Officials wouldn’t elaborate publicly, other than to say there are no apparent threats to others.
Joe Kenny, chief of detectives at the New York Police Department, said it appeared from the document that Mangione “has some ill will towards corporate America.”
According to CNN, the manifesto said “These parasites had it coming” and “I do apologize for any strife 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 the U.S. health system, and insurance companies specifically.
Bullet casings found at the scene were reportedly inscribed with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” though officials have not confirmed it.
Mangione had no known criminal record in New York, police said.
Wide range of social media followings
Mangione’s apparent social media account on X followed a range of people across the political spectrum.
Some of those figures include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), prominent vaccine skeptic and potential head of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden and podcaster Joe Rogan.
Among non-political figures on the follow list are the Sam Harris podcast, Richard Dawkins, and Bret Weinstein, Scott Galloway, Jonathan Haidt, Ezra Klein and Steve-o from Jackass.
Earlier this year, Mangione apparently left a four-star review on Goodreads for The Unabomber Manifesto, also known as “Industrial Society and Its Future,” by Ted Kaczynski.
“He was a violent individual — rightfully imprisoned — who maimed innocent people. While these actions tend to be characterized as those of a crazy luddite, however, 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 using a 3-D printer, that was capable of firing 9 mm rounds.
Ghost guns have become an emerging public safety threat, targeted at the state and local level for allowing criminals to evade gun regulations.
A ghost gun is typically sold in a kit and constructed at home without serial numbers or background checks.
