Authorities arrested a man in central Pennsylvania on Monday in connection with last week’s murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson after finding him in possession of a handgun, a silencer and fake identification cards similar to those of the murderer, various media 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 questioned had a handwritten “manifesto” criticizing health care companies for putting profits over care, the New York Times reported, citing a law enforcement official.
One of the counterfeit cards found on the man also matched the ID the suspect used to check into a Manhattan hostel before the shooting, the Times reported.
The man has been arrested on local charges, possibly related to presenting a fake 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 shot outside a Manhattan hotel early Wednesday morning by a masked man who appeared to be waiting for his arrival before shooting the director from behind.
Police have not publicly identified a motive but say Thompson appeared to be deliberately targeted.
The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” are 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 called “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 away and then rode his bicycle into Central Park. Surveillance footage shows him leaving 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 served as CEO of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance division 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 spokesperson for UnitedHealth declined to comment on the latest reports.
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