New York officials name 'key' person of interest in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO

New York City authorities on Monday afternoon publicly identified a "key" suspect in the killing last week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan.

Authorities have named the suspect as Luigi Mangioni, 26, originally from Maryland.

"We believe we have a key person of interest," NYC Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference. 

"Responding officers questioned the suspect, who was acting suspiciously and was carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport. Upon further investigation, officers recovered a firearm on his person as well as a suppressor, both consistent with the weapon used in the murder," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on Monday.

"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," she added.

Tisch also said police "recovered a handwritten document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset."

Mangione was reportedly valedictorian of his 2016 high school graduating class at the Gilman School in Baltimore and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE), Computer and Information Science, according to the New York Post.

The news outlet also reported Mangione has ties to anti-capitalist and climate-change causes.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione, who did not have any prior arrest record, will be facing gun charges.

Police began questioning a man in Altoona, Pennsylvania earlier Monday in connection with the fatal shooting of Thompson, according law enforcement officials.

Thompson was gunned down last week outside of a Hilton hotel in New York City.

Police stopped the man, who had a fake New Jersey ID, at a McDonald’s and began questioning him after a tip from an employee.

This is a developing story