SIGNS: Ex-Ivy League Student Arrested As Person Of Interest In UnitedHealthcare CEO Murder

The case of the high profile murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson took a shocking new twist after a suspect has been arrested in connection to the crime.

According to multiple reports, authorities arrested 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, a former data engineer and Ivy League graduate, on Monday (December 9) in connection to the fatal shooting that occured in New York last week. Mangione was apprehended at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an employee recognized him from media coverage and alerted police.

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed Mangione’s arrest, describing him as a person of interest in the December 4th shooting. Officers discovered Mangione seated in the back of the McDonald’s, wearing a blue medical mask and working on a laptop. When asked to remove the mask, officers identified him from circulated photos.

Mangione was allegedly carrying multiple fake IDs, including a fraudulent New Jersey ID that police say was used by the shooter to check into a Manhattan hostel before Thompson’s murder. Upon questioning, Mangione reportedly became “visibly nervous” and began shaking when asked if he had been to New York recently. After initially lying about his identity, he eventually provided his real name, telling officers, “I clearly shouldn’t have” when confronted about the falsehood.

Authorities recovered a 3D-printed “ghost gun” with a suppressor consistent with the weapon used in the shooting, along with clothing and a mask matching descriptions of the suspect. They also found a handwritten document expressing Mangione’s grievances against corporate America, though police believe there are no additional threats stemming from the note.

“It does seem that he has some ill will toward corporate America,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny noted, which may hint at a motive.

Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate with an impressive résumé, shocked former acquaintances with his arrest. Former roommate R.J. Martin, who lived with him in a co-living community in Hawaii, told CNN, “He was a very thoughtful person. Communicated really well, was friendly, had good relationships with everyone. He was absolutely not a violent person, as far as I could tell.”

Martin recalled Mangione’s struggles with health issues, including spinal surgery earlier this year that left him with screws in his body.

“He sent me the X-rays… It looked heinous, with just giant screws going into his spine,” Martin said, adding that their communication eventually fizzled out.

Mangione was charged with multiple offenses in Pennsylvania, including forgery, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and false identification to law enforcement. He was ordered held without bail during his first court appearance, where he did not enter a plea.