Killing Of MN CEO: ‘Person of Interest’ Located In PA McDonald’s

A man armed with a gun resembling the one believed to have been used in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was taken into custody Monday in Pennsylvania for questioning, according to authorities.

The "strong person of interest" was identified as Luigi Mangione. He was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after being spotted in a local McDonald's, authorities said.

UnitedHealthcare is a division of UnitedHealth Group, headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and one of the largest and most valuable companies in the world.

Thompson — a Minnesota resident — was shot and killed outside a Midtown hotel last Wednesday morning in what police described as a "brazen" and "targeted" attack.

He had been walking alone to the Hilton from a nearby hotel, where UnitedHealth Group was hosting its annual investor conference.

The gunman "waited in ambush for several minutes" before approaching Thompson from behind and opening fire, said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

The masked shooter used a 9 mm pistol, which police noted was similar to firearms often used by farmers for animal euthanasia, partly due to their quieter discharge.

Ammunition found near Thompson’s body was inscribed with the words "delay," "deny," and "depose," a phrase often invoked by critics of the health insurance industry.

The New York Police Department received a call around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday about a shooting outside 1335 Sixth Avenue. When officers arrived a few minutes later, they found Thompson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Thompson was taken to Mount Sinai West, where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m., police said. Video obtained by New York's Fox 5 shows officers performing CPR on Thompson before he was rushed to the hospital.

According to police, the shooter fled the scene on foot before getting on an e-bike. He was last seen entering Central Park on Center Drive just a few minutes after shooting Thompson.

"The shooter arrived on foot, about five minutes prior to the victim's arrival," said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny Wednesday

"We see at 6:44 the victim is walking alone toward the Hilton after exiting his hotel across the street. The shooter steps onto the sidewalk from behind a car, he ignores numerous other pedestrians, [and] approaches the victim from behind and shoots him in the back. The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears the gun malfunctions, [and] he clears the jam and begins to fire again."

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.