Jesse Weber

Here's how it all went down. Remember that grainy photo from the hostel?

Here's how it all went down. Remember that grainy photo from the hostel?

And by December 9th, it had reached a customer at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, nearly 300 miles from the Hilton in midtown Manhattan.

And by December 9th, it had reached a customer at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, nearly 300 miles from the Hilton in midtown Manhattan.

It was a customer who recognized him first. They had seen the news, the grainy security footage of the gunman walking away from the crime scene. It was something about the way he moved and his sharp but cautious eyes that triggered an instinct. He sat alone at a small table in the McDonald's, his laptop open beside a worn backpack.

It was a customer who recognized him first. They had seen the news, the grainy security footage of the gunman walking away from the crime scene. It was something about the way he moved and his sharp but cautious eyes that triggered an instinct. He sat alone at a small table in the McDonald's, his laptop open beside a worn backpack.

A medical mask covered the lower half of his face, a brown beanie pulled low over his head, and a dark jacket wrapped tightly around him. He seemed lost in thought, focused on his meal. Unbeknownst to him, the customer had alerted an employee, whose fingers trembled as they dialed 911. And within minutes, unmarked police vehicles swarmed the parking lot.

A medical mask covered the lower half of his face, a brown beanie pulled low over his head, and a dark jacket wrapped tightly around him. He seemed lost in thought, focused on his meal. Unbeknownst to him, the customer had alerted an employee, whose fingers trembled as they dialed 911. And within minutes, unmarked police vehicles swarmed the parking lot.

Officers moved in silently, their breath visible in the winter chill. They found the suspect calmly reading, unaware that his time was up. The quiet anonymity he had sought in a small-town fast-food franchise had vanished in an instant, when moments later, police busted through the doors. For days, their suspect had stayed ahead of them. He had moved carefully, covering his tracks, keeping low.

Officers moved in silently, their breath visible in the winter chill. They found the suspect calmly reading, unaware that his time was up. The quiet anonymity he had sought in a small-town fast-food franchise had vanished in an instant, when moments later, police busted through the doors. For days, their suspect had stayed ahead of them. He had moved carefully, covering his tracks, keeping low.

But now, he had nowhere to go. When they finally took him down, there was no dramatic shootout, no last words. Just the quiet click of handcuffs. A photo shared by the Pennsylvania State Police captured the scene. Mangione with his blue mask dangling loosely from one ear, mid-bite into what looked like a hash brown. Officers quickly seized the backpack on his person.

But now, he had nowhere to go. When they finally took him down, there was no dramatic shootout, no last words. Just the quiet click of handcuffs. A photo shared by the Pennsylvania State Police captured the scene. Mangione with his blue mask dangling loosely from one ear, mid-bite into what looked like a hash brown. Officers quickly seized the backpack on his person.

Its black polymer frame fitted with a metal slide. Alongside it lay a homemade suppressor and a loaded Glock magazine containing six 9mm rounds, one of them a hollow point, designed to inflict maximum damage. And there was more.

Its black polymer frame fitted with a metal slide. Alongside it lay a homemade suppressor and a loaded Glock magazine containing six 9mm rounds, one of them a hollow point, designed to inflict maximum damage. And there was more.

A falsified New Jersey driver's license under the name Mark Rosario hinted at an attempt to hide his true identity, the same alias he had used when checking into a New York City hostel before his arrest. A stash of cash totaling $10,000, including $2,000 in foreign currency, as if he had been perhaps preparing for a swift escape.

A falsified New Jersey driver's license under the name Mark Rosario hinted at an attempt to hide his true identity, the same alias he had used when checking into a New York City hostel before his arrest. A stash of cash totaling $10,000, including $2,000 in foreign currency, as if he had been perhaps preparing for a swift escape.

A box of medical masks, a seemingly mundane detail, yet one that completed the picture of a man on the run. and a U.S. passport that confirmed his real name, Luigi Mangione. As investigators pieced together the evidence, it became clear Mangione wasn't just another anonymous face in a fast food restaurant.

A box of medical masks, a seemingly mundane detail, yet one that completed the picture of a man on the run. and a U.S. passport that confirmed his real name, Luigi Mangione. As investigators pieced together the evidence, it became clear Mangione wasn't just another anonymous face in a fast food restaurant.

He was the prime suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the manhunt that had gripped the nation had finally come to an end. And to the authorities, this was definitely the guy they say shot Brian Thompson.

He was the prime suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the manhunt that had gripped the nation had finally come to an end. And to the authorities, this was definitely the guy they say shot Brian Thompson.