Weapons & Guns

Luigi Mangione mulled using a bomb to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but ultimately decided against it to protect the lives of innocent people, TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... investigators found a spiral notebook they believe belongs to Mangione in which he wrote to-do lists of tasks that needed to be completed to kill Thompson, while explaining why these plans were necessary.

In one alarming passage, Mangione allegedly relished what it would be like "to kill the CEO at his own bean counting conference," believing that shooting his victim would be more targeted, rather than a bombing, which "could kill innocents."

"Stranger Things" star Brett Gelman is speaking out after the arrest of Luigi Mangione -- the suspect charged in the murder of a healthcare executive in New York -- saying while the U.S. healthcare system is broken, that's no excuse to commit murder.

We caught up with the actor at LAX Tuesday ... Gelman tells TMZ he understands the frustration with healthcare, but made it clear that being fed up with the system doesn’t give you the right to go out and kill someone.

Check out the video ... because Brett dishes more thoughts on the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... telling us the way whoever did the crime should’ve made a point about the healthcare system if he really wanted.

Luigi Mangione, the suspected shooter in the murder case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was frustrated with the "corporation and greed" of the healthcare industry ... this according to his handwritten manifesto.

Journalist Ken Klippenstein recently released the manifesto reportedly found on Mangione when he was detained Monday in Altoona, PA. Law enforcement sources have confirmed the text to TMZ.

The document, a 262-word letter addressed to "the Feds," comments on a number of topics ... including his issues with the healthcare business, especially UnitedHealthcare.

Luigi Mangione, who is suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, may have been a big fan of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski's manifesto ... but didn't let on to his friends about this.

We caught up with RJ Martin, a pal of Mangione's, on "TMZ Live" Tuesday ... where he recounted reading Kaczynski's manifesto, also known as 'Industrial Society and Its Future,' in their book club a couple years ago.

As RJ put it ... he and another member "half-jokingly" suggested they give the controversial work a go for one of their reads -- but noted most members of the club struggled to get through the first couple chapters.

1:50 PM PT -- Luigi Mangione has obtained legal counsel and is fighting the extradition to New York ... but has 14 days to apply for the challenge, known as a writ of habeas corpus.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ ... Judge David Consiglio will schedule a hearing ... if and when the application is filed.

Mangione will be held without bail at SCI Huntingdon until then.

Luigi Mangione, the suspected killer in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has returned to court ... with the government's goal to have him extradited to New York City.

Mangione has been denied bail Tuesday -- and he's fighting the extradition to New York. As he arrived at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, he began shouting toward reporters before officers rushed him into the building.

The murder suspect -- who has sparked both ire and admiration for his alleged involvement in the slaying of an insurance executive in midtown Manhattan last week -- returned to the courthouse Tuesday ... where a judge kicked off the extradition process to send LM to the Big Apple to face charges there.

Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was highly involved in his high school extracurriculars ... which included being a member of the robotics team.

A resurfaced 2016 video from Baltimore, Maryland’s Gilman School, where Mangione attended, shows him hanging with some robotic creations -- and at one point, he’s seen moving a bot with a controller, guiding it along with other robot enthusiasts.

Luigi appeared focused on the robots for the event. He posed with his teammates and their creation, which earned them a spot in the Maryland State Finals.

Accused UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione looks a little worse for wear in his just-released mug shot -- not to mention he could use a nice shave to remove all the scruff on his face.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections circulated Mangione's unflattering booking photo Tuesday ... showing him in an orange jumpsuit ahead of Tuesday's extradition hearing.

As we reported Monday, Mangione was formally charged by the Manhattan D.A. with second-degree murder, 3 counts of criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of a forged instrument.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is refusing to support the narrative painting Brian Thompson's suspected killer as a modern-day vigilante ... slamming the notion as the murder case continues.

The politician spoke out in a press conference Monday after Luigi Mangione, the top person of interest in the fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, was arrested in Pennsylvania that same day.

While addressing reporters, Shapiro made it clear Mangione was "no hero," adding ... "In America, we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint."

Armchair social media detectives have dug up a 2016 high school speech by suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione -- and the Ivy League grad looks like anything but a cold-blooded killer.

Check out the footage ... Decked out in a snazzy suit and tie, Mangione delivered his calm and collective speech before his fellow students at the Gilman School -- an expensive private boys' school in Maryland.

One thing that jumps right out at you is just how well-spoken and proper Mangione was in 2016 when he gave this 8-minute address harkening back on their academic successes over the years. At the end, Mangione received an enthusiastic round of applause.

Luigi Mangione, who has been named a person of interest in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has been described as an all-around good guy ... this according to his friends.

Sources close to Mangione tell TMZ ... they don't have anything negative to say about the person of interest -- though, some had some not-so-nice things to say about his family. (More on that later on!!!)

One pal described LM as "an exceptionally kind and compassionate friend" ... and made a point to highlight that Mangione, who attended University of Pennsylvania, is a "very intelligent" individual.

A former top FBI profiler is breaking down Luigi Mangione’s arrest today -- the prime person of interest in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson  ... and he's also pointing out all the "sloppy" blunders made along the way by the person who did the shooting -- Mangione has not been charged in the case.

James Fitzgerald, an ex-FBI profiler who served in NYC during the late '80s and '90s, tells TMZ that the alleged killer -- who he makes clear is innocent until proven guilty -- was no criminal mastermind ... he was just someone laser-focused on completing a mission.

Fitzgerald didn’t hold back, calling out the missteps of whoever committed the murder -- like the "amateur" bullet engravings, using the wrong kind of firearm -- and he comments on key evidence allegedly found in Mangione's possession, asking why it wasn't ditched.

A person of interest in the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson has been detained.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a man in Altoona, Pennsylvania is being held for questioning in connection with last week's shooting in New York City.

Our sources tell TMZ ... local police responded after receiving a tip that the person of interest was seen in a McDonald's.

New video appears to show the suspect wanted for the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... lying in wait moments before the fatal shooting last week.

The video obtained by ABC News shows a figure wearing what appears to be the same dark clothing and gray backpack shown in photos of the suspect previously released by the NYPD, loitering across the street from the scene of the shooting.

In the new video, the figure lurks among vehicles parked on the street -- then appears to move swiftly toward Thompson. As we've previously seen, the killer emerged from between SUVs parked in front of the New York Hilton Midtown hotel, approached Thompson from behind, and fired multiple rounds. The suspect then calmly walked across the street into an alley, before fleeing on a Citi Bike electric bicycle into Central Park, according to police.

The dark eyes of the alleged killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson have come into full focus -- highlighting his steely gaze and bushy brows based on new images released by the NYPD.

New York City's finest released two photos late Saturday with the first image showing the suspected shooter in the backseat of a cab in Manhattan.

The alleged gunman is peeking through a window divider and staring directly into a security camera mounted inside the taxi. He is wearing a blue medical mask that covers his nose and mouth while his eyes and brows are totally exposed.

Internet sleuths believe they have found the jacket worn by the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... and now it is morbidly flying off the shelves.

On Reddit, a user speculated the suspect's jacket was a Sherpa Lined Two Picket Hooded Trucker Jacket by Levi's ... sold at Macy's for the retail price of $225.

The jacket's popularity has since spread like wildfire on the company's website ... where more than 6,000 people were viewing the jacket at the same time -- and nearly 700 were sold in the past 48 hours, according to an item popularity tool on Macy's site.

The suspect who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan may have used a special weapon more common on farms ... at least according to cops.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters Friday police investigators are looking into the possibility the gunman used a veterinary gun ... a larger gun commonly used on ranches and farms.

Kenny says this specialized, larger firearm is used for animals because, "If an animal has to get put down, the animal can be shot without" the gun causing a loud noise.