Luigi Mangione's Arrest Linked to 911 Call About "CEO Shooter" Amid Police Misconduct Allegations
A dramatic 911 call made by a McDonald's manager in Altoona, Pennsylvania, one year ago may have inadvertently helped bring down Luigi Mangione, the defendant accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. The call, which was played in court on Monday as part of Mangione's suppression hearing, led police to believe that a man resembling the "CEO shooter" was at the restaurant.
The manager's comment, made to 911 dispatchers on December 9th, came during a nationwide manhunt for the person responsible for gunning down Thompson. The call has now become a crucial piece of evidence in Mangione's murder trial, which he is pleading not guilty to state and federal charges. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in their case.
Mangione appeared in court on Monday wearing a gray suit and checkered shirt, with court officers unshackling him so he could take notes during the proceedings. The hearing was attended by supporters dressed as Nintendo characters from the Super Mario franchise, holding signs that read "Free Luigi" and criticizing the American health insurance industry.
Prosecutors presented testimony from multiple witnesses, including an NYPD sergeant who described sending images of the suspected shooter to news media, and a Pennsylvania emergency coordinator who described the 911 call made by the McDonald's manager. The recording showed customers at the restaurant were "really upset," with orders continuing to come through in the background as the manager spoke with dispatchers.
The government also played widely shared footage showing Mangione, identified as the masked shooter, shooting Thompson outside the Midtown Hilton. Mangione watched the footage without visible emotion and took notes. Additionally, a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections officer testified that Mangione was placed on "constant watch" at SCI-Huntington prison before his transport to New York.
Mangione's defense attorneys argue that police officers did not read him his Miranda rights or have a proper warrant when they arrested him and searched his backpack in the Altoona McDonald's. Prosecutors claim that police followed proper procedure, and the backpack's contents tie Mangione to Thompson's killing.
The judge's decision on key evidence could set a trial date in the coming days.
A dramatic 911 call made by a McDonald's manager in Altoona, Pennsylvania, one year ago may have inadvertently helped bring down Luigi Mangione, the defendant accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. The call, which was played in court on Monday as part of Mangione's suppression hearing, led police to believe that a man resembling the "CEO shooter" was at the restaurant.
The manager's comment, made to 911 dispatchers on December 9th, came during a nationwide manhunt for the person responsible for gunning down Thompson. The call has now become a crucial piece of evidence in Mangione's murder trial, which he is pleading not guilty to state and federal charges. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in their case.
Mangione appeared in court on Monday wearing a gray suit and checkered shirt, with court officers unshackling him so he could take notes during the proceedings. The hearing was attended by supporters dressed as Nintendo characters from the Super Mario franchise, holding signs that read "Free Luigi" and criticizing the American health insurance industry.
Prosecutors presented testimony from multiple witnesses, including an NYPD sergeant who described sending images of the suspected shooter to news media, and a Pennsylvania emergency coordinator who described the 911 call made by the McDonald's manager. The recording showed customers at the restaurant were "really upset," with orders continuing to come through in the background as the manager spoke with dispatchers.
The government also played widely shared footage showing Mangione, identified as the masked shooter, shooting Thompson outside the Midtown Hilton. Mangione watched the footage without visible emotion and took notes. Additionally, a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections officer testified that Mangione was placed on "constant watch" at SCI-Huntington prison before his transport to New York.
Mangione's defense attorneys argue that police officers did not read him his Miranda rights or have a proper warrant when they arrested him and searched his backpack in the Altoona McDonald's. Prosecutors claim that police followed proper procedure, and the backpack's contents tie Mangione to Thompson's killing.
The judge's decision on key evidence could set a trial date in the coming days.
. I mean, can you believe it? A 911 call that led police to think there was a CEO shooter at McDonald's and ended up helping bring down Luigi Mangione, who's now on trial for murder? It's wild to think that the manager's comments were taken literally and sparked this whole investigation 
. And now, we're hearing about all these questions surrounding police misconduct... did they really follow procedure with Mangione's arrest? I'm keeping an eye on this case - it feels like a real-life thriller movie 
. I wonder if the Mario fans at the trial are actually rooting for Mangione's acquittal or just supporting their favorite character 
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And now they're using this call to try and prove Mangione was involved in Thompson's murder. It's so fishy! 
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And what's up with the fact that Mangione was "placed on constant watch" at prison before he even left? That's some serious entrapment right there 
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This whole thing just got super messed up! So like, this dude gets arrested for a crime he didn't even do because of a 911 call that led to him being targeted by cops? 
That's just wild. And now we're hearing about police misconduct and how they didn't read the guy his rights? 
Like, what even is going on here? The trial could go either way, but it's clear that Mangione is in a lot of trouble. I'm not sure if he's guilty or not, but this whole thing just feels super unfair. And those supporters showing up dressed as Nintendo characters? 
That's actually kinda cool! Maybe justice will be served and Luigi gets a break? 
the 'CEO shooter' thing tho is wild... it sounds like they're stretching things a bit 
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. And those Super Mario fans showing up in court? 
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. But at the same time, I'm glad we're having these tough conversations about police accountability and justice reform 
. It's like, the more we talk about it, the closer we'll get to getting some real change 
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also, can we talk about how crazy it is that someone got arrested for shooting a cop or not having their miranda rights read to them? shouldn't that be a no-brainer for police officers to follow procedure? 
. and now mangione is sayin he didn't get his miranda rights right? that's sus tho... i mean idk what's goin on in these police procedurys but maybe someone can explain it 2 me pls 
. 911 call leads cops to the wrong guy, but they still managed to catch him anyway 
this trial just got way more interesting. I'm not saying Mangione didn't do it, but I think we need to consider all the evidence and circumstances before jumping to conclusions. It's like, what really went down at that hotel? We might never know.
), I hope they get to the bottom of this case and figure out what's really going on.
. This must've been super confusing for the police because they started looking for this guy everywhere, but then they found out it was actually just some innocent person in the restaurant! 