Suspect detained in manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's killer
Luigi Mangione, who was detained at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pa., has been identified as the suspect believed to have shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last Wednesday in New York City.
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The manifesto found on Luigi Mangione singled out UnitedHealthcare by name, according to the New York Times.
It also noted the size of the health insurance company and how much money it makes, a law enforcement official who reportedly saw the document told the newspaper.
There was also criticism of health-care companies, alleging the companies have placed profits over care.
“These parasites had it coming,” it reportedly said. “I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done.”
More details are emerging Tuesday about Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week in New York City.
Accused UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione allegedly wrote that he "wasn't working with anyone" in a manifesto found on him during his arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday.
A law enforcement official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that Mangione claimed to have committed the shooting alone in the three-page, handwritten manifesto.
“To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone,” the document said, according to the official. “I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.”
On "Fox News @ Night" with Trace Gallagher, former FBI special agent Maureen O'Connell said Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the brazen murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, likely thought he would get away with the crime he's accused of committing.
As a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school, and the valedictorian of his elite high school, Mangione was "probably always" told he was "smarter than everyone else," O'Connell said.
"I think he feels he's smarter than everybody else. He's probably always been told he's smarter than everyone else and someone convinced him of that," O'Connell said.
She also said he seemed to have planned for everything leading up to the shooting and the shooting itself, but not the aftermath of the crime.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams spoke with the Altoona, Pennsylvania, officer who arrested Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, on Monday.
Adams shared bits of his phone call with Officer Tyler Frye on X Monday night, in which he can be heard thanking the officer and acknowledging his "heads-up policing."
"We're very appreciative of the partnership between local police, state partners, and the NYPD. Together, we brought him into custody and took a dangerous individual off our streets," Adams wrote in part on X.
Frye, who has only been on the job for six months, told Adams he appreciated the phone call.
"Can't say I was expecting it waking up this morning, but it was a great experience for me and I'm more than happy to take someone like that off the street," Frye said.
Prosecutors in Manhattan charged alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione with murder late Monday night, according to online court records.
He was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon (loaded firearm), possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of a weapon (firearm silencer) in the brazen Dec. 4 death of Brian Thompson.
Mangione remains jailed in Pennsylvania on charges for possession of an unlicensed firearm, providing false identification to police and forgery.
The family of Luigi Mangione said they are “shocked and devastated ” by his arrest.
In a statement issued Monday night, Mangione's cousin, Maryland State Delegate Nino Mangione, said he would not be commenting on the matter. His family also said they would not comment on news reports of his arrest and the allegations against him.
“We only know what we have read in the media," the statement said. "Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news.”
CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione pictured in new mugshot. (PA Department of Corrections)
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections released a new mugshot of Luigi Mangione, the man suspected of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in cold blood in NYC.
The department of corrections said Mangione was being held at the State Correctional Institution at Huntingdon.
UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione appeared in court for the first time since his arrest Monday where he said he had been in touch with his family “until recently" and disputed details about how much cash he had on him when he was taken into custody.
During the proceedings at the Blair County Court House in Hollidaysburg, a judge denied Mangione bail after the defendant was asked if he understood the charges against him.
The judge also asked Mangione if he was in touch with his family.
"Until recently," he replied, without elaborating.
He also stated that he worked as an engineer for three years at one point, but had no work recently. When asked if he would like a court-appointed attorney or private counsel, Mangione asked if he could answer at a later date.
He also took issue with the amount of cash found on him Monday.
Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks said in court that Mangione was carrying a passport and $10,000 in cash — $2,000 of it in foreign currency.
Mangione disputed the amount, saying he doesn't have that kind of money.
The Associated Press contributed to this post.
Luigi Mangione traveled to a variety of locations across Pennsylvania after allegedly shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, authorities said Monday night.
After allegedly shooting Thompson in New York City, Mangione carefully traveled to Pennsylvania, where he stopped in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania State Police said.
“Based on everything we have seen, he was very careful with trying to stay low profile, avoid cameras — not all that successfully in some cases, but that was certainly the effort he was making,” Lt. Col. George Bivens of the state police said. “He took steps to try and avoid detection with some of the electronic devices as well.”
Altoona Police officer Tyler Frye, center, speaks during a press conference regarding the arrest of suspect Luigi Mangione, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Hollidaysburg, Pa., in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro praised an Altoona police officer who help arrest Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Officer Tyler Frye, who has been on the job for six months, and a fellow officer "acted swiftly " after responding to the McDonald's where the suspect was spotted, authorities said.
They recognized an image distributed of the alleged gunman in Thompson's killing in New York City, officials said at a Monday night news conference.
They asked him to pull his blue medical mask down and "recognized him immediately," Frye said.
Shapiro said Frye "acted with smarts and he acted with calm."
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, started shaking when police in Altoona, Pa., approached him Monday at a McDonalds, court documents revealed.
He was wearing a blue medical mask and was looking at a silver laptop computer when officers approached him at the fast-food chain, court documents say.
Officers asked Mangione to pull down his mask and the officers immediately recognized him as the suspect wanted for Thompson's murder in NYC. Officers had seen photos of the suspect from media sources, court documents say.
Mangione gave officers a fake ID with the name Mark Rosario - police ran the ID and determined it to be fake. Officers then asked Mangione why he lied.
He replied, "I clearly shouldn't have," according to court documents. Mangione was then placed into custody.
Officers found a black 3D-printed pistol and a black silencer in Mangione's backpack, court documents say. The pistol had a metal slide and a plastic handle with a metal threaded barrel.
The pistol had one loaded Glock magazine with six nine-millimeter full metal jacket rounds, documents said. Police said the silencer was also 3D printed.
Mangione has been charged in Pennsylvania with several crimes, according to court documents.
Mangione, who was arrested Monday in Altoona, is charged with forgery, firearms not to be carried without a license, tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of a crime and false identification to law enforcement authorities, according to a police criminal complaint.
He appeared in court Monday night for a preliminary arraignment.
Luigi Mangione pictured in an Altoona police station. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
Fox News Digital has obtained the first photo showing CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione inside an Altoona, PA police station.
Mangione was pictured inside a holding cell wearing jeans and a blue shirt with his shoes off.
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder, arrived at court Monday for a preliminary arraignment.
Mangione arrived at the Blair County Court House in Hollidaysburg, hours after his arrest in Altoona.ona.
The suspected gunman in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is expected to appear in a Pennsylvania court on Monday evening.
A preliminary arraignment for Luigi Mangione, 26, will be held at 6 p.m. at the Blair County Court House in Hollidaysburg, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Courts said.
Mangione will appear in person.
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's killing, is refusing to talk to authorities, Fox News Digital has learned.
“Suspect didn't say a word. He refused to talk,” a law enforcement source told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital's Jordan Early contributed to this report.
New York Police Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry arrives at Altoona Police Department, where a man with a gun thought to be similar to the one used in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has been taken into police custody for questioning, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Representatives from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office have arrived in Pennsylvania, where the suspect in the UnitedHealth CEO killing is being held.
Sources tell Fox News Digital that representatives from Alvin Bragg's office arrived at the Altoona police station Monday.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested Monday after a manhunt following the killing of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson.
The private school where the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect graduated from called news of his arrest “deeply distressing.”
“Luigi Mangione’s suspected involvement in this case is deeply distressing news on top of an already awful situation,” the Gilman School said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to everyone affected. Here on campus, our focus will remain on caring for and educating our students.”
The Gilman School is a private all-boys school in Baltimore for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Police have identified a 26-year-old Maryland man as the suspect in last week's assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot from behind outside a New York City Hilton hotel hours before a shareholder conference Wednesday.
Luigi Nicholas Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Monday morning after witnesses spotted him and thought he matched the suspect on a wanted poster. Police responded to the location for reports of a person matching the description of the man wanted for questioning in Thompson's murder, but Altoona police said they initially took him into custody on unrelated charges.
High-level law enforcement sources told Fox News and Fox News Digital that he had a "ghost gun" similar to the suspected murder weapon, a suppressor and a fake ID in his possession when taken into custody. The Associated Press also reported he had writings critical of the healthcare industry.
Mangione graduated from the elite Gilman School, a private high school in Baltimore, at the top of his class. Video of his graduation ceremony shows he delivered the commencement speech.
"He seemed like a smart kid, he was always doing the right thing, it seemed like," a former classmate told Fox News Digital Monday. "Wasn’t crazy."
He said the news came as a shock when he heard of the arrest.
Fox News Digital Michael Ruiz contributed to this post.
Several members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) were seen walking into the Altoona, Pennsylvania police station on Monday, after the man who allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City was taken into custody.
The suspect was apprehended at a McDonald’s and later identified as Luigi Mangione.
In a video taken on Monday, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry leads a group of people, including members of the NYPD, into the Altoona Police Station where Mangione was being held.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested Monday in Pennsylvania. (Facebook)
Fox News Digital has confirmed the suspect is pictured - 26-year-old Luigi Mangione.
Mangione was arrested Monday in Pennsylvania.
Members of the media gather outside of Altoona Police Department where a man with a gun thought to be similar to the one used in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has been taken into police custody for questionin, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pa. (AP Photo/Gary M. Baranec)
The man arrested in connection to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was not talking to authorities, Fox News Digital has learned.3:12
Luigi Mangione did not have a lawyer as of Monday afternoon, a law enforcement source tells Fox News Digital.
A handwritten document recovered from the alleged gunman accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson appeared to show animosity toward corporate America, the New York Police Department said.
“We don't think that there's any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document, but it does seem that he has some, some ill will toward corporate America,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters.
The documents and other evidence allegedly found on Luigi Mangione is being held by the Altoona Police Department.
Police sources told Fox News that a DNA swab has been taken from Luigi Mangione, the suspect detained Monday at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pa.
That sample will be compared to DNA and saliva found on a Starbucks coffee cup recovered in New York City near the shooting scene.
The United Health Group reacted to Monday's arrest of a suspected gunman accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City street last week.
“Our hope is that today’s apprehension brings some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy,” a UnitedHealth Group spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “We thank law enforcement and will continue to work with them on this investigation.”
The suspect, identified as Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested in Pennsylvania following a days-long manhunt.
The gun found on the suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson appeared to be a "ghost gun" that may have been made on a 3-D printer, authorities said Monday.
The New York Police Department said Luigi Mangione was taken into police custody in Pennsylvania.
He was in possession of a ghost gun that “had the capability of firing a nine millimeter round and a suppressor,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said.
“As of right now, the information we're getting from Altoona is that the gun, you know, appears to be a ghost gun. May have been made on a 3D printer," he said. "The capability of firing a nine millimeter round, obviously, that will come out during our ballistics testing.”
A high school classmate of Luigi Mangione, who has been identified as the person of interest in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, tells Fox News Digital that he “seemed like a smart kid” who was “always doing the right thing.”
He “always had a smile on his face. Never really got the vibes of him being socially awkward. So that’s why I’m really surprised,” the classmate said.
“I graduated in 2015, he graduated in 2016, It’s crazy how 10, 9 years later how people can change,” the classmate added.
Fox News Digital's Sophia Compton contributed to this post.
A screenshot from surveillance footage released by the NYPD shows the alleged suspect wanted for the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, Dec. 4. (NYPD Crime Stoppers )
The person of interest arrested in Altoona, Pa., in the search for the individual who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has been identified as 26-year-old Luigi Mangione.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference Monday that “He matches the description of the identification we've been looking for” and that he is “in possession of several items that we believe will connect him to this incident.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said "The suspect was in a McDonald's and was recognized by an employee who then called local police.
"Responding officers questioned the suspect, who was acting suspiciously and was carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport. Upon further investigation, officers recovered a firearm on his person as well as a suppressor, both consistent with the weapon used in the murder," she added.
"They also recovered clothing, including a mask consistent with those worn by our wanted individual. 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," Tisch said. "Additionally, officers recovered a handwritten document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset."
NYPD detectives are now heading to Pennsylvania to interview Mangione further.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione has no prior arrest history in New York.
He was born and raised in Maryland and has ties to San Francisco, California, with his last known address in Honolulu, Hawaii, according to Kenny.
Speaking about the manifesto that reportedly was found on Mangione in Altoona, Kenny said "We don't think that there's any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document, but it does seem that he has some, some ill will toward corporate America."
"He's going to be facing gun charges there. And at some point, we'll work out through extradition to bring him back to New York to face charges here, working with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office," Kenny continued.
Kenny also said Mangione "was in possession of a ghost gun that had the capability of firing a nine millimeter round and a suppressor."
The Altoona Police Department said in its own statement that its officers were "dispatched to a McDonald’s restaurant for reports of a male matching the description of the United Healthcare CEO murder suspect.
"At this time, the Altoona Police Department is cooperating with local, state, and federal agencies," it also said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is set to speak in minutes following the capture of the suspect in the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting.
The person detained by police in Altoona, Pa., in relation to the manhunt for the suspect accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson had a manifesto that contained writings apparently critical of the health insurance industry, the Associated Press reported, citing a law enforcement official.
A source with knowledge of the investigation into the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson told Fox News that a person fitting the suspect's description has been taken into custody at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pa.
The person has a similar gun to the one used in the shooting last Wednesday, the source added.
Police tell Fox News that a person at the McDonald's recognized the individual from the wanted posters of the suspect and then alerted law enforcement.
When police arrived, they spotted the person and found a weapon -- believed to be the one used in the murder -- in his pocket, along with a fake ID, according to police.
“The eyebrows match," another police source told Fox News regarding the appearance of the individual.
The man was sitting and working on a laptop in the Altoona McDonald’s when he was spotted, the source continued, revealing that the suspect in Thompson's murder was also spotted doing the same thing at a McDonald's location in New York City.
Altoona is a city located about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh.
Thompson died last Wednesday after being shot outside of a hotel in New York City. The suspect in the shooting was last seen at a bus station in upper Manhattan.
The NYPD, which previously called the individual involved in the shooting a person of interest, began calling him a suspect Monday.
Fox News' Martha MacCallum, Bryan Llenas and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Former NYPD inspector Paul Mauro told Fox News’ "America’s Newsroom" Monday that “everybody is really wondering” about how the shooter knew where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson would be on the morning he was gunned down.
“How did he know that Mr. Thompson would walk down that block at that time?” Mauro said, describing how the shooter lied in wait until he allegedly opened fire around 6:40 a.m. local time last Wednesday.
“He acquires him from across the street, it’s like 60-70 feet in dark conditions, he doesn’t hesitate. Makes him [out]. Walks right out through traffic and walks around behind him and does what he does,” Mauro continued. “How could he have known? That access is the thing that everybody is really wondering.”
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty testifies before a Senate Finance Committee hearing about a recent cyberattack at the company's technology unit and its impact on patients and providers, on Capitol Hill in Washington, on May 1, 2024. (U.S. Senate/Reuters)
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty was heard telling employees in a video just days after the death of Brian Thompson that the insurer will “guard against the pressures that exist for unsafe care or for unnecessary care to be delivered in a way which makes the whole system too complex and ultimately unsustainable,” according to the New York Post.
“Our role is a critical role, and we make sure that care is safe, appropriate, and is delivered when people need it,” Witty reportedly added.
He also told employees to “tune out” criticism of the insurer, adding that the backlash against it “does not reflect reality,” the New York Post reported.
“You’ve seen a lot of media interest in this situation with a huge amount of misinformation and frankly offensive communication,” Witty also was quoted as saying, adding that "People are writing things we simply don’t recognize."
The comments have since drawn backlash on social media.
“Dude’s next,” one person commented underneath a post on X that shared the video.
“I’m glad that killer still on the loose,” another added.
An NYPD officer points as investigators search Central Park on Monday, Dec. 9, following the killing last week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Fox News)
Former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said on FOX Business’ “Mornings with Maria” Monday that he believes the suspect wanted for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson will be caught “fairly soon” after he made a “lot of mistakes.”
“He made a lot of mistakes. Obviously, this is one of them. The picture where he smiles at the desk clerk,” Kelly said in reference to a clear image of the suspect’s face that was released by law enforcement.
The image reportedly was captured by a surveillance camera as the suspect was flirting with a hostel worker in the leadup to Thompson’s death.
“Facial recognition is effective, and I would hope that it's being used in this case,” Kelly added.
He also described the suspect as a “motivated amateur.”
“And the writings on the shell casings, I think, indicate -- assuming they're legitimate and aren't done to throw investigators off -- it shows the kind of animosity that's out there directed at insurance executives, which I never knew about,” Kelly added. “It really is startling that you see now thousands of messages on the Internet supporting the shooter.”
Ultimately, Kelly said, it’s “just a matter of time and I think fairly soon” that the suspect will be caught.
The New York City Police Department returned Monday to Central Park in Manhattan to search for evidence surrounding the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Video captured officers and K-9 dogs combing a portion of the massive park.
A gray backpack linked to the suspect was discovered in Central Park on Friday.
Police sources told Fox News on Sunday that the backpack contained a jacket and Monopoly money.
Sources said the gun used in the murder was not in the bag, prompting dive teams to check the water around Central Park.
Fox News' Andrea Margolis and Alexis McAdams contributed to this report.
Commuters wait for buses at the George Washington Bridge Bus Station in New York, Friday, Dec. 6, where the gunman fleeing Wednesday's shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson took a taxi to, according to surveillance video. (AP/Richard Drew)
The search for the suspect wanted for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson expanded to Greyhound bus stations between Atlanta and New York City, a report said.
Police sources told CBS News that investigators are trying to figure out where the suspected shooter got onto a bus that took him into New York City during the leadup to Brian Thompson’s killing.
The sources added that investigators from the NYPD and U.S. Marshals Service were sent to Atlanta and to Greyhound bus stops along the route from there to New York City.
"We are fully cooperating with authorities on this active investigation. As it is ongoing, we cannot provide further comment at this time," a Greyhound spokesperson told Fox News Digital last week.
Fox News’ Brie Stimson and Alexis McAdams contributed to this report.
Former FBI agent Rob D'Amico told "Fox & Friends First" on Monday that he found it “surprising” that nobody has come forward yet to identify the suspect believed to have killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“I do find it surprising. They may have done that already to the police and the police don’t want to come out and say that they actually have that name because it can harm the investigation. It may have happened, but normally when it does you get some media leakage that it actually has, so I am surprised,” D’Amico said.
“But his immediate family members – if it is a crime of passion and he did this based on a loved one dying for a lack of healthcare or denied healthcare – they may be more understanding of his plight but I do think it’s eventually going to come out that we find out who this is. I think that is going to happen shortly,” he added.
Law enforcement has released numerous images of the suspect, who remains on the run Monday following the killing last week in New York City.
“He had this well planned out after and he may have gone to ground. I think he got out of the immediate area,” D’Amico also said. “I think if he has everything well-planned, he knew police would figure out who he was, that they would start asking the public and if he has gone to ground he’s not getting out in public, I think it’s really going to start prolonging the manhunt for him.”
A New York City Police officer walks through brush and foliage in Central Park during a search for evidence in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (AP/Ted Shaffrey)
Gun-detecting police dogs are involved in the search for the weapon used in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a report said.
A senior law enforcement official told NBC News that the dogs were deployed Sunday to Fort Tryon Park in upper Manhattan.
The area is close to a bus terminal near the George Washington Bridge where the suspect was last seen around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4, according to the Associated Press.
The official also told NBC News that subway stations near the George Washington Bridge were searched as well – but to date, the weapon has not been recovered.
Firearms expert David Katz, a former DEA firearms instructor who is now the CEO of Global Security Inc., said to Fox News Digital that the suspect may have been using a rare pistol.
Katz said he believes the weapon may have been a bolt action pistol, a "modernized version of a World War II pistol."
Fox News’ Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
Surveillance footage released by the NYPD shows the suspect wanted for the shooting death of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (NYPD)
The Wednesday assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson will "heighten [executives'] awareness of vulnerabilities" and likely lead to a wave of new security contracts, experts told Fox News Digital.
In an ambush caught on surveillance video, a gunman with his face covered aimed a pistol with a silencer at Thompson at 6:46 a.m. Wednesday outside the Midtown Hilton Hotel and shot the executive three times.
Former New York Homeland Security adviser Michael Balboni told Fox News Digital that at least one prospective client, the head of a large financial institution, specifically mentioned the shooting when calling to ask after an executive-protection assessment through his company, Redland Strategies Inc.
"In the short term, this incident highlights the need to perform threat assessments on not just infrastructure or systems, but key personnel as well," he said. "As a result, security personnel should be busy."
"But in the long term, complacency will return," he added.
Retired NYPD detective Pat Brosnan, the CEO of Brosnan Investigations Group and former head of Brosnan Risk Consultants, told Fox News Digital that the killing had "already, within hours of the murder, prompted meetings of high-level, chief security officers around the country."
A screenshot from surveillance footage released by the NYPD shows the alleged suspect wanted for the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (NYPD Crime Stoppers)
A former New York Police Department (NYPD) official revealed the most useful clue authorities have in the investigation of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder.
John Miller, former NYPD deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, told CBS News on Saturday that the hostel surveillance video of the person of interest is the "most significant clue to date."
The photo of the suspect smiling reportedly happened after a woman in the hostel asked to see the suspect's "pretty smile," a source told CBS. Police interviewed her in the wake of the shooting.
"They were having a flirtatious moment and he pulls it down and he gives a big smile and that one informal moment between two human beings remains at this moment the most significant clue to date in this whole case," Miller explained.
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