Law enforcement officials released photos of the gun and fake ID allegedly found on Luigi Mangione, the "strong person of interest" being questioned in connection with the deadly shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO in Manhattan.
The gun found on Mangione when he was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, appeared to be similar to the weapon used in the Dec. 4 killing of Brian Thompson on outside the Hilton on West 54th Street and Sixth Avenue, a senior law enforcement official told NBC New York.
The 26-year-old was arrested by local police on firearms charges. He was described by the NYPD as a "strong" person of interest in the death of Thompson.
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According to police, an employee at an Altoona McDonald's thought Mangione looked suspicious, potentially matching the shooter's description, and called police. Arriving officers noticed a fake ID and took him in for questioning.
“They also recovered clothing, including a mask consistent with those worn by our wanted individual,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. “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."
Once at the police station, the sources said, officers discovered Mangione was not only in possession of a handgun, but also a silencer.
A photo of the phony ID showed Mangione using the fake name "Mark Rosario" and listed a nonexistent address on a Maplewood street. Other fake IDs were found on Mangione Monday as well, investigators said.
The NYPD said he had a manifesto on his person that speaks to a possible alleged motivation in the killing. They said that manifesto included no specific threats to others, but noted "it does seem he does have some ill will towards corporate America."
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Mangione may have taken a bus to get out of New York. Investigators are looking into whether the Mangione had recently gotten off a bus from Philadelphia, according to a senior official. NYPD detectives were heading to the area to question him.
He has not been charged in Thompson's death as of Monday. He appeared in court later in the evening in connection to the gun charge. A police criminal complaint charged him with forgery, carrying firearms without a license, tampering with records or identification, possessing an instrument of crime and providing false identification to law enforcement.
Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, has ties to San Francisco and a last known address in Honolulu, Hawaii. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering in 2020.
With the high-profile search expanding across state lines, the FBI previously announced it was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, adding to a reward of up to $10,000 that the NYPD has offered. Police have said they believe the suspect acted alone.
Monday's developments came as a private funeral was being held for Thompson, the 50-year-old executive gunned down at point-blank range as he headed to a midtown hotel for an investors' conference last Wednesday.
