Altoona McDonald's review-bombed after CEO shooting police tip
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Altoona, Pennsylvania, police arrested a person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Monday, following a tip from an employee at a local McDonald's.
The big picture: Thompson's killing in New York City last week sparked a nationwide manhunt and triggered a groundswell of online vitriol toward the insurance industry, turning the anonymous shooter into a folk hero figure for many.
- Up until 26-year-old Luigi Mangione was arrested at McDonald's, the NYPD had been circulating photographs of a suspect, but hadn't released any names. Prosecutors in New York filed a murder charge and other charges against him late Monday.
- Police said the employee recognized the man in McDonald's — who turned out to be Mangione — from those photos.
Driving the news: Following the "outing" of Mangione as a person of interest, sympathizers took to the internet to slam the McDonald's employee for tipping off police.
- Users left reviews for at least three McDonald's locations in or around Altoona, Pennsylvania, with dozens of people leaving one star ratings and complaining about "rats." Others more explicitly called out "snitches."
- The critical Google reviews parallel social media reactions, many of which valorize Mangione, who is still only a person of interest and has not been charged in connection with Thompson's death.
- "This location has rats in the kitchen that will make you sick and your insurance isn't going to cover it," one reviewer wrote.
Catch up quick: Thompson was shot in the back on Dec. 4 outside a midtown Manhattan hotel while in New York for an investor meeting.
- Police said the shooting appeared to be targeted, as reports indicated the words "deny," "defend" and "depose" were written on shell casings found at the scene, phrases previously used by insurance industry critics.
- Thompson's killing re-energized a national debate about the American health insurance industry and its behavior, with many people expressing a lack of sympathy for Thompson's death and praising his killer.
State of play: The Altoona Police Department said in a press release that Mangione was arrested on charges unrelated to Thompson's shooting.
- Mangione had fake IDs, a firearm and a device to muffle gunshots at the time of his arrest, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Monday.
- He appeared in a Pennsylvania court for a preliminary arraignment later Monday. N.Y. prosecutors charged him with murder, illegal gun possession and possessing a forged instrument, according to online court documents.
- Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, and his last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mangione is not believed to have been arrested for any offense prior to Monday.
Go deeper: Pennsylvania governor says UnitedHealthcare CEO's killer "is no hero"
Editor's note: This article has been updated with details of Luigi Mangione's preliminary arraignment in Pennsylvania and charges filed by New York prosecutors against him.
