A man has been taken into custody and is being questioned by police in Pennsylvania in connection with the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to MSNBC — and he reportedly had a “similar” weapon as the one that was used in the shooting.
Thompson was shot and killed early Wednesday morning outside of the New York Hilton Midtown, where the company was holding an investor conference. The masked suspect reportedly shot the 50-year-old CEO multiple times before fleeing, first on foot and then on an e-bike into Central Park. A manhunt is underway and the investigation is ongoing. Police have said that they believe this was a premeditated and targeted attack.
On Thursday, multiple media outlets reported that the police had tracked the suspect to a nearby hostel, where he reportedly stayed for several days prior to the shooting. Surveillance video showed him mostly wearing a mask, but there were several instances where he was in a hooded jacket and his face was exposed. The NYPD released two images on Thursday morning.
NBC News national law enforcement and intelligence correspondent Tom Winter reported the new developments Monday morning, along with NBC News chief justice contributor Jonathan Dienst.
“A man is being questioned in the CEO shooting in Pennsylvania, two senior law enforcement officials say,” Winter tweeted.
Winter appeared on MSNBC Monday morning to discuss the reporting with anchor Ana Cabrera.
“Two senior law enforcement officials say a man has been taken into custody in central Pennsylvania, specifically the Altoona area, and is being questioned by law enforcement,” said Winter. “NYPD detectives are en route in the course of their investigation. They found a gun similar to the type of gun that was allegedly used during the shooting.”
Winter added that this individual “was picked up and taken into custody for having a weapon that is similar to the type of weapon that was used. You’ll remember from all of our reporting last week and this weekend, a very unique weapon that was used in the course of this shooting.”
It wasn’t yet known if this individual was “definitively” the suspected shooter, said Winter, and “that’s the reason why we wouldn’t be putting out a name just yet.”
“But as far as this investigation goes, it appears that they’ve had perhaps their most significant break to date.”
CNN correspondent Brynn Gingras had additional reporting on how the man was taken into custody.
Sources told her and her colleague John Miller that “there is a man being questioned right now in Altoona, Pennsylvania, that person is in police custody right now undergoing that questioning by law enforcement officials,” Gingras reported to anchor Pamela Brown.
“And what we’ve learned is pretty alarming,” Gingras added. “Basically, sources are telling us that, working off of a tip, police stopped someone who was traveling by bus, and they were able to recover a suppressor, a number of fake IDs — according to one official — and also that same person is believed to also have fit the same description as all of those pictures that have been dispersed, of course, out into everywhere for people to help identify with this person.”
Gingras and Miller later reported during Inside Politics to anchor Dana Bash that the man in police custody was 26 years old and their sources said the original tip came from an employee at Altoona McDonald’s, who called 911 and said that a customer resembled the person in the photos released by the NYPD.
Sources told them that he was found with a gun and suppressor, a number of fake IDs, and other evidence. Miller told Bash that this included “some documents that the police said seem to be relevant to this case.”
“I think we would stop short right now because we don’t have enough information of calling that a manifesto,” Miller continued, “but we are told by investigators they believe he was carrying documents that may relate to motive.”
Watch the clips above via MSNBC and CNN.
This is a breaking news story and has been updated with additional information.
