Authorities on Monday detained a man in central Pennsylvania in connection with last week’s murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson after finding him in possession of a gun, a silencer and false identification cards similar to those used by the killer, several media outlets reported.
Investigators received a tip about the man after he was spotted at a McDonald’s in Altoona by someone who thought he looked like the suspected killer, CNN reported, citing unnamed officials.
The man being questioned had a handwritten “manifesto” criticizing healthcare companies for prioritizing profits over care, the New York Times reported, citing a law enforcement official.
One of the false cards found on the man also matched the ID used by the suspect to check into a hostel in Manhattan before the shooting, the Times reported.
The man has been arrested on local charges, possibly in connection with presenting a false ID to police, and New York detectives are headed to Altoona, according to the Times.
Neither the New York City Police Department nor the Altoona Police Department responded to a request for comment.
Thompson, 50, was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel early on Wednesday morning by a masked man who appeared to wait for his arrival before shooting the executive from behind.
Police have not publicly identified a motive but have said Thompson appeared to be deliberately targeted.
The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were carved into shell casings found at the scene, several news outlets have reported. The words evoke the title of a book critical of the insurance industry published in 2010 titled “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.”
The suspect, who has not been identified by police, ran from the scene and then rode a bike into Central Park. Surveillance video captured him exiting the park and taking a taxi to a bus station in northern Manhattan, where police believe he used a bus to flee the city.
Thompson, a father of two, had been CEO of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance unit since April 2021, part of a 20-year career with the company. He had been in New York to attend the company’s annual investor conference.
A UnitedHealth spokesperson declined to comment on the latest reports.
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