US police arrests man linked to execution-style murder of CEO in New York

A man is being questioned after being arrested in connection with last week’s sensational killing of a health insurance executive in Midtown Manhattan, according to the New York police.

The man was identified as Luigi Mangione, 26, who was located in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an employee recognised him and contacted authorities around 9:15 a.m. on Monday.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed Mangione’s identity during a news briefing on Monday.

Mangione was carrying both his real identification and a fake ID, law enforcement officials said. The fake identification appeared to be the same New Jersey ID that the suspected gunman used when checking into a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on November 24, according to a senior law enforcement official.

When approached by authorities in Altoona, Mangione was found with a gun, a silencer, and multiple fake identification cards, similar to those believed to have been used by the killer in New York.

One law enforcement official described the gun as potentially being a "ghost gun," assembled from parts purchased online. Additionally, Mangione had a handwritten manifesto criticising healthcare companies for prioritizing profits over patient care, officials said.

High-profile murder case

Mangione is currently in custody on local charges, potentially related to presenting fake identification to police.

Investigators from New York are traveling to Altoona, located about 280 miles from the city, to further question Mangione, according to one law enforcement source.

Police had been searching for the gunman since the attack on Thompson, 50, outside a hotel in Midtown on Wednesday morning. Investigators believe the suspect left New York shortly after the murder, likely by bus.

Mangione also arrived in Altoona on a Greyhound bus, a detail that matches information on the killer’s arrival in New York City 10 days before the shooting.

The killing sparked a nationwide manhunt and garnered significant media attention.

In addition to the arrest, police released new photographs over the weekend showing the suspect, including one of him in the back of a taxi on the day of the shooting. Investigators reviewed thousands of hours of surveillance footage to trace the man’s movements in New York City, starting with his bus arrival from Atlanta on November 24.

Police also recovered bullet casings at the crime scene, inscribed with the words “depose,” “deny,” and “delay”— terms commonly associated with insurance companies attempting to avoid paying claims.

Meanwhile, authorities believe the suspect left behind a backpack in Central Park, which is currently being examined for forensic evidence.

The search for the individual has spanned several states, though it is not confirmed whether Mangione is the suspect they have been pursuing.