Bullets in LUIGI MANGIONE’s bag convinced police that he was UnitedHealthcare CEO killing suspect

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 -Moments after Luigi Mangione was put in handcuffs at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, police searching his backpack discovered a loaded gun magazine wrapped in a pair of underwear. 

This discovery — captured on body‑worn camera — reportedly prompted an officer to exclaim, “It’s him, dude. It’s him, 100%,” convincing authorities they had found the suspect wanted for killing Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, just days earlier.

During a pretrial hearing, Officer Christy Wasser — a 19‑year veteran of the Altoona police — testified that after initially removing innocuous items (a sandwich, a loaf of bread, a passport, cellphone, and a small bag), she unearthed the magazine. Later at the station, she found a 9 mm handgun, a silencer and a notebook — items prosecutors say link Mangione to the murder.

Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal murder charges. His defense argues the bag search was unconstitutional because police lacked a warrant at the time. 

Prosecutors maintain the search was lawful and say a judge later signed off on a warrant for the backpack, allowing the evidence to be shared with investigators in New York.