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Police Say Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO Killing Wasn’t a Client of the Insurer
NEW YORK – The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson had no apparent connection to the health insurance company and may have targeted it due to its size and influence, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
In an interview with NBC New York on Thursday, Kenny revealed that investigators found evidence suggesting Luigi Mangione, the alleged shooter, knew UnitedHealthcare was hosting its annual investor conference in New York City. A note found in Mangione’s possession when he was arrested also mentioned the company.
“There is no indication he was ever a client of UnitedHealthcare,” Kenny said. “However, he noted in his writings that it is one of the largest corporations in America and the largest health insurance organization, which may explain why it was targeted.”
UnitedHealthcare is the largest U.S. health insurer and ranks among the top 20 companies in the country by market value.
Mangione, 26, was arrested Monday at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 370 kilometers (230 miles) from New York City. He remains in jail without bail and is fighting extradition to New York, where he faces a murder charge in Thompson’s killing.
Authorities allege Mangione waited outside a Manhattan hotel where UnitedHealthcare was holding its investor conference early on Dec. 4. Surveillance footage shows him approaching Thompson from behind, shooting him, and fleeing on a bicycle through Central Park.
When arrested in Pennsylvania, Mangione was found with a “ghost gun” that police say matches shell casings found at the crime scene. He is also charged in Pennsylvania with possessing an unlicensed firearm, forgery, and providing false identification.
Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, had shared posts on social media about struggling with chronic back pain before undergoing spinal fusion surgery in 2023. After the procedure, he described it as successful and encouraged others to consider similar treatment.
Police are investigating his writings, which criticize corporate America and the U.S. healthcare system, as part of their search for a motive.
Mangione was reported missing by his family in San Francisco in November, Kenny added. A hearing on his extradition to New York is scheduled for Dec. 30.
