On Dec. 6, an unnamed suspect shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City at 6:44 a.m.. He fled to Central Park, eventually making his way to George Washington Bridge Bus Station, ultimately leaving the state on a Greyhound bus
Over the weekend, the manhunt continued. Although the suspect’s identity remained unknown, scuba divers searched a Central Park pond and studied surveillance footage, looking for a lead.
On Dec. 9 at 9:14 a.m., the Altoona Police Department responded to a call at the Plank Road McDonald’s, pursuing a man who fit the suspects description.
The call was made by McDonald’s employee Nancy Parker. Parker, as well as other employees, were unable to be reached for a comment.
The man, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was arrested on unrelated charges. On his person, he was discovered to have the believed murder weapon, a manifesto including feelings of hostility towards corporate America, the mask used during the crime and a fake identification he used to check into the hostel he stayed at in New York City.
He appeared at the Blair County Courthouse on Dec. 9 and 10 to attend his court hearing regarding the allegations. Mangione was denied bail and decided to fight extradition. He was represented by Altoona lawyer Tom Dickey.
This event brought national attention to a community that has otherwise been relatively uneventful for a number of years.
Altoona’s local ties to the case have involved some members of the community. Students feel strongly about Mangione’s situation.
“I think that Luigi did the correct things,” senior Zilu Yu said. “That CEO did bad things in the healthcare industry and made money on bad things happening to others.”
“I think that since it made national news, it was great for the city, and it really put us on the map,” senior Talen Turiano said.
Students felt it was attention-drawing to the city. National news stations such as CNN and celebrities such as Jimmy Kimmel have been giving attention to the city.
“I think it’s interesting because it was really unlikely for him to be arrested here considering we’re more conservative, and I think that a lot of people have mixed opinions on it,” senior Teagan Fanelli said.
According to students, employees have been receiving criticism for the events that happened at their establishment.
“I feel like it’s really affected our reputation, because I have a friend that works at that McDonald’s, and they’ve been receiving a lot of threats,“ freshman Luke Hite said.
“McDonald’s employees here are getting a lot of hate now even though they had nothing to do with it,” freshman Maura Thompson said. “Nobody deserves to get death threats over something like this.
This crime has had an impact on students. It has provoked political conversations about the differences in opinions.
“I can see where Luigi was coming from,” freshman Liam Pratt said. “There’s definitely a healthcare crisis in the US , but I don’t think that assassinating a CEO was necessarily the brightest move.”
“I was shocked when I found out that he got arrested here, it was really interesting seeing Altoona on national news like that,” junior Korbyn Clifford said.
The local effect has been significant on some of the students.
“My cousin’s actually the officer that arrested him, and it’s really cool to see people so close to me involved in such a big case,” sophomore Ava Frye said.
“I think that Altoona is just getting its five minutes of fame with this guy being caught eating hashbrowns,” junior Aly Sipes said.
“I think that the effect on the city will just be us being momentarily famous,” freshman Andrew Shilling said.
“I think that it really just brings more attention to Altoona, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing because what else is Altoona really known for today?” senior Dominick Zlupko said.
