Family of UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect says they are 'shocked' by son's arrest

The family of Luigi Mangione, the man charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, have spoken out for the first time following his arrest on Monday.

Mangione's cousin, Maryland State Delegate Nino Mangione, released a statement on behalf of the family, saying they cannot comment on the news reports or allegations regarding Mangione.

"We only know what we have read in the media," the family statement said. "Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news."

Nino Mangione said he would not be commenting further on the matter.

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A mugshot photo was released by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections of Luigi Mangione on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (PA Department of Corrections)

Mangione, 26, was charged Monday night with criminal possession of a weapon (loaded firearm), possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of a weapon (firearm silencer) in the Dec. 4 shooting death of Thompson, according to online court records.

Thompson, 50, was shot from behind on the sidewalk outside a New York City Hilton hotel before a shareholder conference. He was appointed the CEO of the company in April 2021.

This undated photo provided by UnitedHealth Group shows UnitedHealthcare chief executive officer Brian Thompson. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group via A)

The brazen murder set off a nationwide manhunt that lasted five days, ending Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was spotted inside a McDonald’s by a customer and an employee, who alerted police.

Officers arrived to find Mangione wearing a medical mask and a beanie and working on a laptop at a table at the back of the restaurant. Mangione allegedly gave officers a fake ID, gave a phony name, and "became quiet and started to shake" when asked if he'd recently been to New York.

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Mangione was also in possession of writings criticizing the health care industry and a ghost gun similar to the one believed to have been used to kill Thompson, New York City police officials said at a Manhattan news conference after the arrest.

A photo obtained by Fox News Digital shows Luigi Mangione.  (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny described the writings as a three-page, handwritten document that shows "some ill will toward corporate America."

The writings also included a line in which Mangione claimed to have acted alone, a law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly, told The Associated Press.

Luigi Mangione, pictured here in a Facebook photo, was taken into custody in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Monday morning in connection with the ambush murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City. (Luigi Mangione/Facebook)

"To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone," the document said, according to the official.

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"I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming," another line in the document said.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.