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The family of Luigi Mangione is speaking up. The 26-year-old's family released a statement in the hours after he was taken into custody and identified as a person of interest in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, expressing that they were "devastated by this news."
According to the statement that NBC News was able to obtain, "Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione," "We only know what we have read in the media."
"Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest," the family added. We ask that people pray for everyone involved and offer our condolences to Brian Thompson's family.
On December 9, Mangione, who police said has two engineering degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, was arrested at a Pennsylvania McDonald's after officers got a call of a "suspicious male," according to the criminal complaint obtained by E! News.
When police asked Mangione for his identification upon arriving on the scene, he produced a New Jersey ID card stating that his name was Mark Rosario. After Rosario's record was discovered to be empty, police "asked the male if he had been to New York recently, and the male became quiet and started to shake."
"The male was advised that he was under an official police investigation and if he lied about his identity, he would get arrested," the complaint stated. "The male then stated that his name was The Defendant: Luigi Mangione."
Mangione allegedly said, "I clearly shouldn't have," in response to the question of why he lied.
The complaint charged the Ivy League graduate with forgery, carrying firearms without a license, tampering with records or identification, using instruments of a crime, and false identification to law enforcement. It also claimed that the graduate was carrying a suppressor and ghost gun at the time.
According to online documents seen by NBC News, he was later charged in New York with one count of murder, three counts of criminal possession of a weapon, and one count of possession of a forged instrument.
UnitedHealthcare, whose CEO was shot and killed outside a New York hotel on December 4, responded to the investigation's update after Mangione was arrested.
The insurance company told NBC News, "We hope that today's apprehension brings some relief to Brian's family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy." "We thank law enforcement, and we will continue to work with them on this investigation."
In addition, UnitedHealthcare said, "We ask that everyone respect the family's privacy as they mourn."
