A group of regulars enjoying their morning coffee at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s played a key role in the apprehension of a fugitive wanted for the brazen assassination of a prominent CEO in New York City.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested Monday morning after a customer recognized him from news reports and alerted an employee, who then contacted the police. Mangione is accused of fatally shooting Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, last Wednesday outside a Manhattan hotel.
“Don’t that look like the shooter from New York?” one of the regulars, who gave his name as Larry to CNN, recalled his friend joking. Little did they know, their casual observation would lead to the capture of a fugitive.
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Mangione, described as the scion of a wealthy Baltimore family and an Ivy League graduate, was found with a 3D-printed pistol, a silencer, a forged New Jersey ID, and a handwritten manifesto expressing “ill will towards corporate America.”
According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, a combination of “old-school detective work and new-age technology” led to Mangione’s identification and eventual capture. The NYPD circulated images of Mangione from various locations, including a Starbucks he visited before the shooting and a hostel where he stayed.
When confronted by police at the McDonald’s, Mangione initially provided a fake name and denied being in New York City. However, he eventually revealed his true identity and was found with the incriminating evidence.
READ: New York Prosecutors File Murder Charges Against Luigi Mangione In Slaying Of UnitedHealthcare CEO
“These parasites had it coming,” read one line from Mangione’s manifesto, which also included an apology for the “strife and trauma” caused by his actions. An NYPD intelligence report suggests Mangione was driven by anger against the health insurance industry and “corporate greed.”
Mangione has been charged with murder, weapons possession, possession of a forged document, and other offenses. He appeared in court in Pennsylvania, where he verbally disputed some of the prosecution’s claims. His attorney stated that Mangione will fight extradition to New York.
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