Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has been photographed for the first time in a mugshot, wearing an orange jumpsuit.
Mangione was arrested on Monday, December 9, at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a five-day nationwide manhunt. Thompson, 50, was fatally shot from behind on a New York City sidewalk near a Hilton hotel just before a shareholder conference.
Following his arrest, Mangione was initially charged in Pennsylvania with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery, and providing false identification to police. Manhattan prosecutors have secured an arrest warrant, which could expedite his extradition to New York, where he faces murder charges.
Court officials revealed that Mangione has not yet retained legal representation. When asked during his arraignment if he required a public defender, Mangione responded that he would “answer that at a future date.”
Authorities apprehended Mangione after a McDonald’s customer recognized him and informed staff. Police found him sitting at a table wearing a blue medical mask and using a laptop. According to a police complaint, Mangione provided a fake ID but became visibly nervous when questioned about recent trips to New York.
“When he pulled down his mask, we knew he was our guy,” said Officer Tyler Frye, who was part of the arrest team.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch reported that Mangione was in possession of a gun matching the one used in Thompson’s murder, along with a fake ID identical to one used to check into a New York hostel. He also had a passport, other fraudulent IDs, and a handwritten three-page document expressing “ill will toward corporate America,” according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
Thompson was killed last Wednesday while walking alone to a Manhattan hotel for the investor conference. He was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurance company in the United States.
Source:naijalog.comDec
