A man who claimed to be armed and demanded $1 million was apprehended outside UnitedHealthcare’s Minnetonka headquarters on April 14 after a standoff that drew in federal agents.
His arrest comes just months after UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, Brian Thompson, was fatally shot in New York in what authorities have labelled a politically motivated killing.
Law enforcement officials revealed that the suspect, whose identity remains undisclosed, was parked in a vehicle outside the health insurer’s offices.
He later called the police, claimed to have a gun, and requested a negotiator. Officers later found a pistol inside the car, confirming the threat was credible.
The FBI worked with local police to defuse the tense situation. After surrounding the premises, authorities negotiated a peaceful surrender. “No threat to the public,” the Minnetonka Police Department announced shortly after the arrest.
Since the December 4 assassination of CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan, UnitedHealthcare has bolstered security at its Minnesota base.
Local outlets report that police have maintained a watchful presence at the site in response to ongoing concerns.
Thompson was gunned down hours before he was due to speak at a high-level conference. Prosecutors have charged 26-year-old Luigi Mangione with murder, terrorism, and federal offenses, and have declared their intention to pursue the death penalty.
Calling the attack “an act of political violence,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “Mangione deliberately stalked and murdered Thompson in broad daylight, endangering the public.”
However, his lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, strongly objected to the capital punishment pursuit, labelling it “barbaric.”
Officials have not commented on whether the man arrested on Monday has any connection to Mangione. The case remains under investigation.