US police detained a man in central Pennsylvania on Monday, connecting him to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week.
Preliminary reports indicated that authorities found him with a gun, a silencer, and fake IDs that resembled those the killer had used, according to multiple media reports.
A witness at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, noticed the man and thought he looked like the suspected killer, leading to a crucial tip, CNN reported, citing unnamed officials.
The New York Times, citing a law enforcement official, reported that the man had a handwritten “manifesto” that criticized healthcare companies for prioritizing profits over patient care.
Investigators also found that one of the man’s fake IDs matched the ID the suspect had used to check into a Manhattan hostel before the shooting, added the Times.
Local authorities arrested the man on charges likely related to possessing a false ID, and New York detectives are currently travelling to Altoona, reported the Times.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Murder Incident
The New York City and Altoona Police Departments have not yet responded to requests for comments. Early Wednesday, outside a Manhattan hotel, a masked man fatally shot the 50-year-old Thompson, apparently waiting for him before shooting him from behind.
Police have not revealed a motive but indicated that Thompson was likely targeted deliberately.
Media sources noted that the shell casings found at the crime scene had “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” inscribed on them, mirroring the title of a 2010 book critical of the insurance industry, “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.”
After the murder, the suspect fled the scene, cycled into Central Park, and was later captured on surveillance footage leaving the park and taking a taxi to a bus station in northern Manhattan. Police believe he then boarded a bus to leave the city.
Thompson, a father of two who had been with UnitedHealth Group for over 20 years, was in New York for the company’s annual investor conference at the time of his murder.
UnitedHealth has not issued any comments on the recent developments.
