Luigi Mangione named ‘strong person of interest’ in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson murder after McDonald’s arrest

After a five-day manhunt, police have identified LUIGI Mangione as a “strong person of interest” in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a posh hotel in New York City.

In relation to the well-publicized murder, Mangione, 26, was taken into custody Monday morning at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

The suspect possessed a gun comparable to the one used in the incident as well as writings criticizing the health insurance sector.

When Mangione was taken into custody at the chain restaurant, which is located roughly 280 miles west of the Hilton hotel in Manhattan, police claimed he also possessed a silencer and phony identification.

Mangione’s last known residence was in Honolulu, Hawaii, however he was born and reared in Maryland. He had never been a criminal.

Last Wednesday at 6:45 a.m., Thompson was brutally killed as he crossed the street from his hotel to enter a Hilton investor meeting.

Unsettling surveillance showed that the gunman meandered around the entryway for several minutes before coming up behind the CEO and firing a volley of bullets into his leg and back.

Following the egregious and well-targeted crime, the murderer mounted an e-bike, rode uptown, and then sped into Central Park.

Joseph Kenny, the chief of detectives for the New York Police Department, told CNN that he then left Central Park, still carrying the bike, at about 77th Street.

DESTINATION UNKNOWN

The suspect was seen heading to 86th Street and Columbus Avenue before boarding a taxi to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, which is located close to 178th Street and Broadway, according to additional surveillance footage that the police released on December 6.

Two more images showing the suspected assassin in the backseat of a taxi on the day of the killing were made public by investigators on December 7.

The alleged murderer was seen wearing a black hood, a dark cap, and a blue surgical mask while sitting in the backseat of the car.

The man was seen strolling along the sidewalk close to the taxi in the second picture.

Investigators thought the alleged shooter fled the city by boarding an interstate bus.

On December 7, New York Police found a backpack they thought belonged to the suspect jammed between two boulders in Central Park, close to the carousel.

Authorities discovered Monopoly money and a Tommy Hilfiger jacket inside the Peak Design backpack, CNN reported.

The murder weapon is still missing.

‘FLIRTATIOUS ASSASSIN’

In a last-ditch effort to apprehend the perpetrator, investigators published two pictures of him wearing dark clothes and a face mask hours after the Midtown shooting, but days passed before his identification was made public.

There were no quick breakthroughs despite the sharing of another strange picture of a person of interest allegedly flirting with a receptionist while sporting a cunning smirk.

The suspect is thought to have slept at the HI New York City Hotel in the Upper West Side while donning a mask and a phony ID in order to avoid detection by the authorities.

The phrases “deny,” “depose,” and “defend” were inscribed on bullets that investigators found at the site.

Rumor has it that the phrase may allude to the book Delay, Deny, Defend, which exposes the shortcomings of insurance firms.

Three live 9mm bullets and three fired casings were found by the police.

As part of their investigation, authorities also examined Citi Bike data and discovered a lost cell phone.

Last month, the suspect traveled from Atlanta to New York City on a bus.

The hooded shooter was a skilled hitman, according to military analysts.

It’s unclear exactly what police were able to obtain from the DNA evidence that was sent to a lab on Thursday.

Prior to the shooting, the murderer went to Starbucks on West 56th Street and paid with cash for two energy bars, coffee, and water.

Police collected the DNA from the water bottle that was left at the coffee shop in order to create a profile.

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What we are aware of…

• The killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson remains at large as the manhunt enters its third day.
• Security camera images of a smiling man wearing a hooded jacket have been released, while a fake ID, cellphone, and DNA sample have reportedly been found.
• The killer pulled down his face mask while flirting with a hotel receptionist.
• Cops believe the assassin used a rare “World War Two spy gun” fitted with a silencer to kill Thompson.
• The killer fled into Central Park on a bike wearing a backpack but was later spotted leaving without it.
• He arrived in New York last month after boarding a Greyhound bus that originated in Atlanta.
• Terrified CEOs are stepping up their security in the wake of the killing over fears of copycat assassination attempts.
• A $10,000 reward for any information about the killing is being offered by police.

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CEO’S THREATS

Thompson’s family has called the murder irrational.

Paulette, a distraught wife, told CNN, “We are devastated to learn about the senseless murder of our beloved Brian.”

Brian was a very talented, kind, and loving man who lived life to the fullest and had a profound impact on many people’s lives.

Above all, we shall miss Brian since he was a very devoted father to our two boys.

Paulette said her husband had already been threatened.

Hours before people gathered to see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree lights turn on, the shooting took place.

There will be more later. Keep returning to The U.S. Sun, your one-stop shop for the greatest sports news, celebrity news, real-life stories, stunning photos, and must-watch videos, for the most recent updates on this subject.

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