A retired NYPD detective revealed that the silencer on the 3D-printed gun allegedly used by Luigi Mangione to execute UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was like nothing he had ever seen in 25 years on the force.
Detective Sgt. John Griffin was investigating the high-profile December 2024 Midtown slaying and was left stunned by the deadly suppressor fitted to the 9-millimeter handgun.
“We could tell right away it was some sort of a semi-automatic and it had something on the front, either like a homemade suppressor or silencer-type of thing,” the veteran cop, who served on the NYPD’s major crimes unit, told Dateline.
Luigi Mangione, the Ivy League graduate charged with executing the head of America’s largest health care company on a Midtown sidewalk, is back in Manhattan court for an evidence hearing that could make or break his state case. Steven Hirsch for the NY PostAsked by anchor Lester Holt whether silencers were common among murder cases, Griffin didn’t hesitate.
“No,” he said, adding, “In 25 years, I don’t think I’ve ever actually encountered a silencer before that.”
The 3D-printed weapon was discovered inside the 28-year-old Mangione’s backpack after he was nabbed at an Altoona, Pa., McDonald’s following a dramatic five-day manhunt.
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In a manifesto also found inside his bag, the Ivy League grad plotted to “rebel against the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel” by targeting “a company that literally extracts human life force for money.”
Shell casings found at the gruesome scene also bore messages that mirrored phrases that health care giants like United are alleged to have used to deny coverage claims.
Photo of the handgun with silencer/suppressor included in Luigi Mangione’s indictment. USDC Southern District of NY
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The image provided by the New York City Police Department shows the suspect sought in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding an investor conference, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. APJurors in Mangione’s upcoming murder trial will be shown both the alleged murder weapon and journal after a Manhattan judge ruled last month that Altoona police followed proper legal protocol when searching his bag after his arrest.
Mangione is headed for a Sept. 8 trial on charges that carry a maximum sentence of 25 years-to-life in prison. The scion of a wealthy Maryland family is separately charged in a federal case, also in Manhattan, in connection to Thompson’s death.
He has pleaded not guilty in both cases and is being held without bail at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.
