Suspect arraigned on firearm and forgery charges
The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO has been charged with weapons, forgery and other crimes in Pennsylvania after being arrested at a McDonald’s on Monday morning, the AP reports.
A police criminal complaint charged him with forgery, carrying firearms without a license, tampering with records or identification, possessing an instrument of crime and providing false identification to law enforcement.
The 26-year-old suspect, identified by police as Luigi Nicholas Mangione, began shaking when police asked if he had been in New York recently, court records said.
Key events
Officer Tyler Frye, who has only been on the job for about six months, and a fellow officer responded to the McDonald’s where the suspect was spotted, the AP reports.
They asked him to pull his blue medical mask down and “recognized him immediately” Frye said. “We didn’t even think twice about it, we knew that was our guy.”
Frye said, “It feels good to get a guy like that off the street, especially starting my career this way, it feels great.”
Blair County district attorney Peter Weeks said in court that Mangione was carrying a passport and $10,000 in cash — $2,000 of it in foreign currency.
Mangione disputed the amount.
He was also found with a box of masks, the prosecutor said, the AP reports.
Mangione was initially cooperative, but is no longer cooperating, the authorities said.
Authorities say Mangione has been in Pennsylvania for some days
There were a number of items found on his person that police have begun to do an analysis of including electronic devices that are in the process of being downloaded, authorities said. They obtained search warrants to go through it.
Mangione has also been in Pennsylvania for several days. The police is now attempting to retrace his steps over the past few days in New York and Pennsylvania.
Authorities said they are still trying to determine whether there are any accomplices or actors and whether there were any other targets.
Altoona police said Mangione has not made any statements since his arrest to their knowledge.
Altoona police said Mangione’s arrest was “peaceful”. The police approached him and asked him if he had been in NY recently and they said he had a “physical” response to that and became visibly nervous.
The suspect was just arraigned, Shapiro confirmed. And New York will file charges “very soon”, he said.
While Shapiro said the attention to the case was helpful in allowing the police to identify and find Mangione, he said the discourse online has been “deeply disturbing”.
“Some have looked to celebrate instead of condemning this killing,” Shapiro said. “Brian Thompson was a father to two, he was a husband and he was a friend to many. And yes, he was the CEO of a health insurance company. In America, we do not kill people in cold bold to resolve policy differences or express a view point. I understand people have frustrations with our healthcare system … but I have no tolerance, nor should anyone, for one man using an illegal ghost gun to murder someone because he thinks his opinion matters most. In a civil society, we are all less safe when ideologues engage in vigilante justice. In some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero. Hear me on this, he is no hero. The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 in the McDonalds this morning.”
Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro makes statement
Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro is taking the podium.
He thanked law enforcement in Altoona and the NYPD for their work. “I just concluded a briefing with Mayor Adams and Commissioner Tisch in New York,” he said.
Shapiro also lauded the individual who recognized Mangione in the McDonalds in Altoona and alerted police.
“I want to begin by thanking our fellow Pennsylvania resident … the Pennsylvania resident saw something in a McDonalds and said something.”
Police are providing updates now.
They said when they first approached Luigi Mangione, he provided a fake ID and was subsequently arrested on a forgery charge.
They later found a passport that correctly identified him as Luigi Mangione.
Suspect arraigned on firearm and forgery charges
The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO has been charged with weapons, forgery and other crimes in Pennsylvania after being arrested at a McDonald’s on Monday morning, the AP reports.
A police criminal complaint charged him with forgery, carrying firearms without a license, tampering with records or identification, possessing an instrument of crime and providing false identification to law enforcement.
The 26-year-old suspect, identified by police as Luigi Nicholas Mangione, began shaking when police asked if he had been in New York recently, court records said.
Altoona police department is expected to hold another press conference at 6.30pm ET at Blair county courthouse, according to the police spokesperson.
