A man in Pennsylvania has been detained for questioning by police in the investigation into the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The individual, apprehended in Altoona while coming off a Greyhound bus and entering a McDonald's, was identified by a witness who recognized him from circulated police images, as reported by ABC7 NY News. Altoona Police recovered a computer and a firearm similar to the murder weapon along with a fake New Jersey driver's license matching the one used by the suspect at a Manhattan hostel.
According to law enforcement sources, Greyhound has been requested by authorities to provide a passenger manifest to assist in confirming the suspect's identity. During the arrest, made 276 miles west of New York City, the man was found travelling with a fake ID, implicating him in further legal issues regardless of his connection to the CEO's shooting. NYPD detectives are currently en route to Altoona to follow up on this development.
The investigation has been intensifying following the release of new video footage, obtained by ABC News, depicting the suspect lying in wait for Thompson. The video further supports police theories of a calculated attack, as the assailant targeted Thompson amidst a street crowd, hastening to commit the act and fleeing the scene immediately after. NYPD has explicitly stated there is no indication the murder was related to Thompson's private life.
The broad daylight murder of Thompson unfolded outside the New York Hilton Midtown, deeply unnerving for its brazen nature. Witness reports claim the gunman took off with an e-bike through Central Park and relocated via taxi to escape via a bus out of the city. A subsequent investigation has led to multiple state inquiries and the FBI joining the manhunt, offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the individual responsible for this "brazen targeted attack," as described by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Law enforcement has been diligently tracing leads, including DNA evidence collected from the scene to identify the perpetrator. Investigation efforts continue as police comb through the backpack filled with Monopoly money and a Tommy Hilfiger coat left near Central Park, hoping lab analysis in Queens could add further pieces to the puzzle of this shocking crime.
