United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson Killed in NYC: Luigi Mangione’s Lawyer Speaks Out

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was brazenly murdered in the middle of Manhattan. The shocking killing has left people wanting to learn more about the victim and details of the tragedy.

What Happened to UHC CEO Brian Thompson?

Thompson was gunned down in front of a Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024. The incident occurred around 6:45 a.m. when the suspect approached Thompson from behind and fired a shot into his back. After Thompson stumbled into the wall, the suspect moved closer and fired more shots into his chest. Thompson was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries. He was 50 years old.

Multiple reports stated that Thompson was headed to the UnitedHealth Group’s annual investors meeting that was scheduled to start at 8:00 a.m.

Thompson was a married father of two sons, but he and his wife, Paulette Thompson, were living in separate homes at the time of his death, according to the Wall Street Journal. He had reportedly purchased a $1 million home close to where his children and Paulette lived.

Paulette revealed that Thompson had recently received threats, but still made the decision to travel to NYC for the investors meeting.

“Yes, there had been some threats basically I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details,” Paulette told NBC News in an interview published on December 4, 2024. “I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”

She later sent a text message to the local station FOX 9 regarding Thompson’s death.

“We are shattered to hear about the senseless killing of our beloved Brian. Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives,” Paulette wrote, per People. “Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and will be greatly missed. We appreciate your well wishes and request complete privacy as our family moves through this difficult time.”

Details About the Suspect Who Killed UHC CEO Brian Thompson

The suspect was wearing a dark jacket with a hood and he wore a mask that obscured his face. He was also wearing a backpack. Law enforcement officials believe the murder was a targeted attack, as the killer ignored passersby after arriving at the door Thompson used approximately 10 minutes before he exited the building.

Motives behind the killing remain unknown. However, shell casings discovered at the scene reportedly had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” written on them, which may have been a reference to a 2010 book titled Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.

On December 5, 2024, the New York Police Department released new images of the suspect that showed a portion of his face. The photos were taken from an Upper West Side youth hostel. Authorities said the suspect arrived in Manhattan 10 days before the shooting occurred on November 24, 2024, per the New York Times. He was staying at the HI New York City Hostel on Amsterdam Avenue near 104th Street in Manhattan. While he checked out on November 29, 2024, he then checked back in the following day. Upon his return, he used a fake New Jersey ID to check into his room, according to police.

The suspect was noted going through Central Park, but, according to law enforcement officials, he may have been aware of cameras because he seemingly stuck to areas of the park with no security surveillance. Investigators also believe the suspect dropped a water bottle at the scene of the crime. While the bottle did have fingerprints on it, they were smudged, making them useless in the investigation. The killer is still at large at the time of publication.

On December 6, police commissioner Jessica Tisch revealed that authorities “had reason to believe” the suspect had already left New York City. Law enforcement officials also told CNN that they found the backpack belonging to the suspect in Central Park. The backpack was then sent to a lab in Queens for forensic testing.

Police discovered the backpack south of the carousel in Central Park hidden between two large rocks. Officers secured the area where it was located and then sealed it, unopened, before it was sent for testing. The backpack will not be opened until it reaches the lab, and an NYPD spokesperson said that the item “still has to be processed.”

UHC CEO Brian Thompson’s Murder Has Other Execs on Edge

The news of Thompson’s murder set off a barrage of worries about security and safety for other high-end business executives, especially in the healthcare industry. United Healthcare quickly removed the names of its other executives from its website, according to 404 Media, and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Medica and more did the same.

Many social media users began sharing their frustrations with the insurance industry as a whole with many recalling incidents when specific claims were denied.

“There’s a latent undercurrent here of how frustrated people are with the healthcare industry,” Ranjay Gulati, a Harvard Business School professor, told the New York Times in an article published on December 6, 2024. “I’m not condoning the action in any way, but there’s a lot of soul-searching we have to do about an industry that consumes nearly 20 percent of our G.D.P. and yet our outcomes are not nearly as good as countries that spend half as much.”

Police Name Luigi Mangione as a Person of Interest

Luigi Mangione was named a person of interest in Thompson’s murder after being taken into custody in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9. He got off a Greyhound bus and entered a local McDonald’s, where several patrons recognized him from a surveillance photo showing his face that the NYPD previously released.

“Because of that, we believe we have a strong person of interest,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference later that day. “He matches the description of the person we are looking for.”

Authorities found Mangione in possession of multiple fake I.D.s, including one from New Jersey that the suspected killer reportedly used when checking into a Manhattan hostel prior to Thompson’s murder, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. She added that police recovered clothes and a mask, “consistent with those worn by our wanted individual.”

Mangione had a gun “consistent with the weapon used in the murder,” and was placed under arrest on gun charges by Altoona P.D., Tisch told reporters.

A UnitedHealth Group spokesperson said in a statement following the developments, “Our hope is that today’s apprehension brings some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy. We thank law enforcement and will continue to work with them on this investigation.”

Luigi Mangione Was Charged With Brian Thompson’s Murder

Shortly after being named a person of interest in the case, Luigi was charged in New York with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO. According to NBC News, Luigi was charged with two felonies for forgery and carrying a firearm without a license and three misdemeanor charges for tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of crime and providing false identification to law enforcement.

Luigi appeared in court the following day for an extradition hearing where he was denied bail.

“It’s completely out of touch. It’s an insult to the intelligence of the American people,” he was heard shouting about “injustice in the system,” while being escorted inside the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.

Mangione Family Speaks Out

Luigi’s family released a statement following his arrest saying they are “devastated by this news.”

“Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione,” the statement obtained by NBC News continued. “We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.”

Luigi Mangione’s Lawyer Says He Saw No ‘Evidence’ Tying Him to the Case

Two days after Luigi’s arrest, his lawyer Thomas Dickey spoke out about the case and said that he “had seen zero evidence tying Mangione to the murder.”

“We had a brief hearing yesterday, but there is one document – an arrest warrant from the state of New York – which merely referenced a statute,” Dickey continued during a December 11, 2024, appearance on Good Morning America. “We’ve seen no evidence. That’s one of the many reasons why we’re challenging the extradition at this point so we can see some evidence and get a little more detailed information about the charges against Luigi.”

When GMA host George Stephanopoulos asked about the ghost gun that was allegedly similar to the weapon used to kill Thompson, Dickey brushed it off and said that “a lot of guns look the same.”

“As I indicated yesterday, I have not been made aware of any evidence that links the gun that was found on his person to the crime. These are things we’re looking to see,” the attorney added. “Yesterday was fast, today’s another day. We’re looking forward to beginning our inquiry as to what evidence may or may not be out there. If you brought a gun in and said, ‘Well, it looks like that.’ I don’t even know if it would be admissible.”

He continued, “And if so, I would argue that it wouldn’t be given much weight. That’s why they do ballistic tests, ballistics, examination, a test of all that to try to match that. Trust me, they’re going to try to match that firearm to the incident by more than just, ‘Well, it looks like that.’”