Police in San Francisco had apparently recognized Luigi Mangione as the accused murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson days before he was arrested in Pennsylvania.
An officer in the police department’s Special Victims Unit was combing through surveillance images the New York Police Department released of the suspected killer, and recognized him as Mangione on December 5 – just one day after the shooting, police sources told the San Francisco Chronicle.
The officer had been looking into Mangione’s disappearance since his mother, Kathleen, reported him missing in mid-November.
She claimed she had not spoken to her son since July 1, and noted that he worked for San Francisco-based TrueCar, an online automotive marketplace – apparently not realizing he had been laid off in 2023.
Upon recognizing the suspect, the suspect is said to have called the FBI and provide the bureau with Mangione’s name – despite law enforcement officials later saying the 26-year-old was not on their radar until his arrest in Pennsylvania on Monday.
He was taken into custody on firearm charges that day after stopping at a McDonald’s in Altoona for a bite to eat, where a customer also recognized him.
Mangione was said to have had a 3D-printed pistol and black silencer loaded with one Glock magazine comprising six 9mm full-metal jacket rounds that the NYPD has said matched those of bullets found at the scene of Thompson’s assassination.
The suspect also reportedly had a manifesto outlining his grievances against UnitedHealthcare after suffering a debilitating back injury which required painful spinal surgery.
A San Francisco police officer reportedly recognized Luigi Mangione, 26, as the suspect in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson days before his arrest in Pennsylvania
The officer reportedly called the FBI and gave them Mangione’s name just one day after the shooting in midtown Manhattan
‘To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone. This was fairly trivial: some elementary social engineering, basic CAD, [and] a lot of patience,’ he allegedly wrote in the manifesto, according to the Daily Beast.
He went on to say he had ‘respect’ for federal investigators, and apologized for causing any ‘traumas,’ but seemed to defend his alleged actions.
‘Frankly these parasites had it coming,’ the manifesto wrote.
It claimed that the United States had the ‘most expensive healthcare system in the world,’ but blasted the system for making America only the 42nd in life expectancy.
Police now say they have ‘no indication’ to suggest Mangione was ever a client of the insurance company.
Chief Joseph Kelly, though, noted to NBC New York that the manifesto ‘does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America.
‘So that’s possibly why he targeted the company,’ Kelly suggested.
The officer recognized Mangione from surveillance images the NYPD released
Mangione was ultimately located at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Monday
Mangione appeared in court on Tuesday to face the Pennsylvania gun charges, where he had a ferocious public meltdown hours earlier.
The orange jumpsuit-clad suspect had to be restrained as he screamed at police while heading into court.
His lawyer, Thomas Dickey, has since claimed Mangione was ‘agitated’ that he did not have legal representation at the time.
Dickey has also said his client will plead not guilty to the homicide charges in New York and the gun charges in Pennsylvania – as he continues to fight extradition to the Big Apple.
But former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly told Fox News on Thursday he expects the 26-year-old will ‘make a show trial out of this’ case when he ultimately does come to New York.
‘He is a very intelligent guy, but he wasn’t aware of what law enforcement could do these days as far as tracking his path,’ Kelly said, noting that ‘in 10 hours time, the NYPD had his uncovered face picture distributed throughout the world.
‘It’s very difficult to figure out what this individual had in his head,’ Kelly continued.
‘But obviously, he’s going to – I think, make a show trial out of this.
‘He is going to want to have a stage and that is what we will see, I think, in New York County when he ultimately gets to New York,’ the former police commissioner concluded.
It is believed he targeted Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, due to the insurance company’s size
The McDonald’s in Altoona has had to increase its security since Mangione was arrested
Mangione is now due back in court on December 30, when a judge will consider multiple writ of habeas corpus petitions filed on behalf of the suspect and impose a bail.
In the meantime, the Altoona McDonald’s has had to beef up its security, with two private security guards stationed at the fast food joint on Wednesday.
The increased security came just one day after Altoona Police Deputy Chief Derek Swope told reporters that officers and citizens in the community have received threats following Mangione’s arresst.
‘This is clearly a very polarized case,’ he said. ‘You know, we have received some threats against our officers in [the] building here.
‘We’ve started investigating some threats against some citizens in our community,’ Swope added, assuring the public: ‘We’re taking all those threats seriously and doing all we can with those.’
