Who is Luigi Mangione, detained in UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing? Here's what we know

A Maryland man was detained in Pennsylvania and questioned about the shocking shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan after a multi-day manhunt that gained worldwide attention, authorities said.

Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested in the western Pennsylvania city of Altoona after he was found with a gun similar to the firearm used in the shooting last Wednesday, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference on Monday.

An attorney for Mangione couldn't immediately be reached. While New York Mayor Eric Adams called him a "strong person of interest in the shooting that shook our city," he was not immediately charged in Thompson's death and was held in Altoona where police recovered a 3D-printed "ghost gun" and silencer.

Writings found on Mangione, the son of a prominent Baltimore family, showed "some ill will toward corporate America," NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters.

More: Who was Brian Thompson? CEO of UnitedHealthcare fatally shot in Manhattan

In a four-star Goodreads review of The Unabomber Manifesto he posted in January, Mangione wrote, "It's easy to quickly and thoughtless write this off as the manifesto of a lunatic, in order to avoid facing some of the uncomfortable problems it identifies. But it's simply impossible to ignore how prescient many of his predictions about modern society turned out."

He then quoted another, unidentified, writer who praised Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, who killed three people and injured 26 in a string of bombings: "You may not like his methods, but to see things from his perspective, it's not terrorism, it's war and revolution."

Here's what we know about Luigi Mangione.

The Unabomber and radical violence

In his online book review, Mangione wrote that Kaczynski, who died in prison last year, "was a violent individual - rightfully imprisoned - who maimed innocent people."

He then quoted "a take I found online that I think is interesting." That unnamed writer more clearly embraced Kaczynski, who targeted figures in academia and the business world from 1978 to 1995.

"Oil barons haven't listened to any environmentalists, but they feared him," that writer said of Kaczynski.

Under the review, Mangione selected several passages from the manifesto, whose formal title was "Industrial Society and its Future," including one that reads, “The concept of 'mental health' in our society is defined largely by the extent to which an individual behaves in accord with the needs of the system and does so without showing signs of stress.”

More: 4 Stars for the Unabomber: 'Person of interest' in CEO slaying reviewed killer's manifesto

Prominent family, Ivy League graduate

Mangione is from a well-known Baltimore family, the Baltimore Banner reported. His late grandfather, Nicholas Mangione Sr., developed real estate and owned country clubs, nursing homes and a radio station, according to the outlet, while his late grandmother was a philanthropist.

Officially a "person of interest" in the Thompson slaying, Mangione is a cousin of Nino Mangione, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, according to WBAL-TV, which reported that the lawmaker's office confirmed the connection. Nino Mangione didn't return a call for comment from USA TODAY.

Mangione was 2016 class valedictorian at the Gilman School, a local private school, and graduated from the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with a combined Masters and Bachelor degree in computer engineering, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Luigi Mangione spotted in McDonald's in Altoona, PA

Mangione was identified by a McDonald's employee who told police they saw him around 9:15 a.m. on Monday in the fast food restaurant in Altoona, Tisch said.

While at the McDonald's, Mangione was "acting suspiciously" and carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport, according to Tisch. He showed the police the same fake New Jersey ID that the gunman was believed to have presented to a hostel on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Nov. 24, the commissioner said.

More: NYPD release new photos of UnitedHealth CEO suspect, FBI adds $50k reward

In addition to the fake ID cards, Mangione had a gun and silencer similar to the ones authorities believe the killer used in New York, Tisch said. The gun used in Thompson's murder is believed to have been a "ghost gun" assembled with a 3D printer, NYPD Chief of Detectives Kenny said.

Clothes, including a mask consistent with the one seen in images released by police, were also recovered, Tisch said.

Mangione remained in custody in Altoona on firearm charges, according to Tisch. Although he has not been charged with Thompson's murder, New York detectives were en route to Pennsylvania to further interview him about the shooting, the commissioner said.

More: Words inscribed on bullet casings found at scene of UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting: Reports

Document found with Luigi Mangione

Authorities found a "handwritten document" in Mangione's possession, which spoke to "his motivation and mindset," Tisch said. This document is currently in possession of the Altoona Police Department as part of their investigation, Kenny said.

Based on briefly speaking with Altoona police, New York police don't see specific threats to other people mentioned in the document, Kenny said.

Kenny said that while the investigation was ongoing, “We believe, at this point – our investigation is leaning towards he was acting alone.”

More: The UnitedHealthcare CEO was killed and many had little sympathy. Why?

What was Luigi Mangione doing in the McDonald's?

When authorities approached Mangione inside the McDonald's, "he was sitting there eating," according to Kenny.

Although Mangione had a fake passport, investigators don't believe he was planning to flee the country, Kenny said.

Whether Mangione will be brought back to New York will be dependent on the Manhattan District Attorney's Office because he is facing gun charges in Altoona, according to the chief.

NYPD is also looking into Mangione's social media and the possible route he took to Altoona from Manhattan, Kenny said.

Luigi Mangione has ties in Maryland, California and Hawaii

Mangione has ties in Maryland, California and Hawaii, according to Kenny. Aside from growing up in Maryland, it is unclear how he has ties in California and Hawaii.

Contributing: Phaedra Trethan, John Bacon and Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY

This is a developing story.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Luigi Mangione? What we know about man detained in CEO shooting