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Dec. 9 (UPI) -- A suspect was charged with murder and other offenses Monday for last week's fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The suspect, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was taken into police custody after being spotted at a McDonald's in Altoona, Penn., which is located about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh.
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He was charged Monday evening by New York prosecutors with second-degree murder, three weapons-related counts and a fifth count of possession of a forged document, according to the court docket.
Earlier, prosecutors in Pennsylvania's Blair County charged Mangione with five similar counts.
Authorities said officers were alerted to the McDonald's by a witness who thought the person resembled the man in photos provided by the New York Police Department.
The criminal complaint from Pennsylvania states the suspect was wearing a blue medical mask looking at a laptop computer with a backpack on the floor beside him when approached by police.
The suspect complied with one of the responding officers' request for him to remove his mask, and they recognized him as the suspect from New York. They then asked for ID, with the man producing a New Jersey Driving license bearing the name Mark Rosario.
When asked if he had been to New York recently, "the male became quiet and started to shake," the complaint states.
The suspect was then advised that he was under investigation and that if he lied about his identity he would be arrested. After the driver's license was found to be fraudulent, the suspect was asked why he lied about his identity.
"I clearly shouldn't have," the suspect said in response.
Mangione was then arrested. At the Altoona Police Department station, a search of his backpack produced a 3D-printed pistol loaded with a Glock magazine with six 9mm full metal jacket rounds and a black silence.
Mangione is being held at the State Correctional Institution at Huntingdon, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections said in a statement, while releasing a new photo of the suspect.
Police earlier Monday said that Mangione had been arrested with a gun similar to the one used by a masked assailant last Wednesday to kill Thompson, 50, who was fatally shot outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel on Avenue of the Americas in midtown Manhattan.
"Because of that, we believe we have a strong person of interest," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Monday at a news conference, adding that Mangione "matches the description of the person we are looking for."
According to officials, DNA testing is now underway. He was spotted in the Blair County town less than an hour south of Penn State University in State College, roughly 100 miles east of Pittsburgh and less than 300 miles from New York City.
Authorities initially believed one of the fake identification cards -- the one he handed to police -- was used by the alleged to check into a New York City hostel prior to the deadly shooting.
Chief Joseph Kenn described the firearm found in Mangione's possession as a "ghost gun," which are unserialized firearms put together from kits and a suppressor capable of firing a 9mm round.
Both items were "consistent with the weapon used in the murder," confirmed NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. And the gun "may have been made on a 3D printer."
Police said Mangione also had a two-page, handwritten document that railed against the healthcare industry, going so far as to suggest violence. It currently is in possession of the Altoona Police Department. Tish said it "speaks to both his motivation and mindset."
Mangione's family said in a statement distributed by Nino Mangione, a Republican House member in Maryland, states they are "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," the family said, adding they only know what they have read in the media.
"We are devastated by this news."
Mangione was arrested and charged the same day a private service was held for Thompson.
Authorities said Mangione reportedly was born and raised in Maryland and had ties to San Francisco. His last known address was in Hawaii, officials said, adding that he has no prior arrests.
Mangione attended University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he majored in computer science and got a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering.
Officials said they do not believe Mangione was attempting to flee the country.
The FBI had offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect described as about 6'1" tall and skinny and dressed in all black.
Thompson became CEO at UnitedHealth Group in 2021 and the company is ranked fifth in the Fortune 500.
According to police, the alleged gunman was waiting outside for Thompson, where he was shot at point-blank range before 7 a.m. Wednesday morning before the suspect fled the scene on bike.
Thompson's death sparked conversations over the protection of corporate leaders and exposed deep resentment held by some in the American public against healthcare companies.
The words "deny," "defend" and "depose" were inscribed on the ammo -- words typically used to characterize tactics used by insurers to avoid paying medical claims.
UPI reached out earlier to the Pennsylvania State Police for further information but they declined to comment, saying a review of information was ongoing.
