Authorities are questioning a man in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday in connection with last week’s killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan. The man was found in possession of a gun resembling the one used in the shooting, according to two sources familiar with the investigation, per NBC News.
The suspect was brought to police attention after customers at a local McDonald’s reported his suspicious behaviour. Officers responding to the scene discovered he was carrying a fake New Jersey ID and swiftly detained him for questioning.
At the police station, the man was found with a firearm similar to the murder weapon, as well as a silencer. The suspected gunman in Thompson’s killing had reportedly used a fake New Jersey ID to check into a Manhattan hostel last month.
Detectives from the New York Police Department (NYPD) are en route to Pennsylvania to assist in questioning and to determine if there is a connection to the Manhattan shooting.
The search for Thompson’s killer continues
This happens as a private funeral is being held for Thompson, a 50-year-old executive who was shot at point-blank range near the New York Hilton Midtown while en route to an investors’ conference last Wednesday. Despite extensive efforts, including surveillance footage showing the shooter throughout Manhattan, the gunman has not yet been identified.
Late Saturday, authorities released two additional photos of the suspected shooter, captured by a camera inside a taxi. One image shows the suspect outside the vehicle, while the other shows him looking through the partition between the front and back seats. In both images, the suspect’s face is partially obscured by a blue medical mask.
Earlier in the investigation, police recovered a grey bag, believed to belong to the suspect, in Central Park. Inside, they found a jacket and Monopoly money but no firearm. Forensic testing of the bag and its contents is ongoing.
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Surveillance footage suggests the gunman left Manhattan by bus approximately 45 minutes after the shooting. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny stated that the suspect was last seen at an uptown bus station.
The FBI has joined the search, offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest and conviction, adding to a $10,000 reward offered by the NYPD. Authorities believe the gunman acted alone.
