Star Tribune
UHC CEO Brian Thompson is shot and killed in New York City
After clearing the jam, the shooter began to fire again, Kenny said, and then fled on foot.
Responding to reporter questions, Kenny said police don’t know if the shooter could have been a professional, nor could investigators say if there was a silencer on the weapon. From watching the video, he said, “it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly.”
After his initial flight from the scene, the suspect was later seen riding an e-bike, including when he was spotted in Central Park.
“The motive for this murder currently is unknown,” Kenny said. “Based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear that the victim was specifically targeted. But at this point, we do not know why.”
United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Thompson was CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer. It is a division of Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group, which is the fourth-largest public company in America behind Walmart, Amazon and Apple.
His wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he had been receiving threats. “There had been some threats,” she said in a phone call with NBC News. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
Star Tribune
Luigi Mangione charged with murder in UHC CEO killing
Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested Monday while eating at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Penn., after an employee recognized him and called authorities.
Mangione was also charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, one count of second-degree possession of a forged document, and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a firearm, online court documents in New York show. The New York criminal complaint against Mangione remains sealed.
In Pennsylvania, he was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police.
Mangione is accused of gunning down Thompson last week in front of a Midtown Manhattan hotel. Thompson, of Maple Grove, was headed to an investors conference on Dec. 4 when he was shot from behind by a man. That man then ran off, and had been seen on surveillance cameras shortly after riding a bicycle into Central Park.
Thompson’s killing set off a weeklong search for the gunman, who was arrested Monday. In a news conference Monday afternoon, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch identified the man as 26-year-old Mangione.
Mangione is due to appear in a New York court later this month.
Star Tribune
Ryan Cos. to transform massive former Thomson Reuters compound in Eagan
Developer Ryan Cos. finalized its purchase of the 179-acre Thomson Reuters headquarters in Eagan, advancing plans to transform the former corporate campus into an industrial hub and housing.
The Minneapolis-based developer plans to tear down the site’s existing six-story office building and data centers to build a multistory industrial building with up to 3.6 million square feet of space. The property will be for warehouse and logistics use, with outdoor storage for trucks, trailers and vans, according to city documents, which refer to the development as “Project Nova.”
Peter Fitzgerald, vice president of real estate development for Ryan, said he could not disclose the name of the anchor tenant associated with Project Nova. He also declined to say how much the site cost.
“We’re finding more and more that the advanced technology and logistics companies are producing the most jobs,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re really excited about re-envisioning this former office campus to more industrial and advanced technology.”
Approximately 40 acres on the southern portion of the campus are slated to house smaller industrial buildings, though Fitzpatrick said Ryan considers that area “a blank canvas” as it continues searching for businesses interested in the site.
The City Council last week approved plans for Miami-based Lennar to build 104 townhomes on 22 acres in the northeastern corner of the development. Ryan’s plans for the site also include a small number of single-family homes, 1.1 miles of new public walking trails and 10 acres of new parkland adjacent to Wescott Station Park.
“Ryan Companies’ redevelopment plan solidifies the historic balance this site has always had in our community,” Mayor Mike Maguire said in a statement. “The inclusion of light industrial components ensures it will remain a vital part of Eagan’s property tax base, while thoughtfully preserving the natural features and character that make the surrounding neighborhoods so desirable.”
Ryan Cos. finalized its purchase of a large swath of Thomson Reuters’ former headquarters in Eagan, releasing plans for its commercial and residential makeover. (Ryan Cos./Ryan Cos.)
Thomson Reuters held on to 83 acres of the campus that contains its print manufacturing facility. The Canadian business services and media conglomerate started searching for a new headquarters in late 2021, realizing it was using only a fraction of its more than 1 million square feet of office space.
Star Tribune
How a contaminated piece of plastic shut down DNA analysis at the Hennepin County crime lab
It was technically a successful scientific discovery when analysts at the Hennepin County forensic science lab recognized there was a contaminant somewhere in its DNA process. That did not lessen the sense of dread.
Allison King, the DNA supervisor and technical leader, summed up the general feeling inside the lab when the problem was discovered: “Oh God, no.”
It would take a herculean effort by lab scientists to identify a square piece of plastic that is used routinely in DNA analysis around the world as the source of contamination. Then they had to reanalyze 50,000 DNA profiles to identify a handful of cases which may have been impacted, and take corrective actions to get back up-and-running last week. The shut down of the DNA section of the crime lab lasted 79 days.
The lab is a compact, labyrinthian facility in the shadow of U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. It works with dozens of law enforcement agencies throughout Hennepin County with the exception of the Minneapolis Police Department, which has its own forensics division. The lab examines and analyzes crime scene evidence like finger prints, firearms, ballistics and DNA — either through evidence collected by its own crime scene investigators or through evidence that is delivered by law enforcement agencies.
The piece of plastic that caused the contamination is called a plate, but it’s more like a brick.
Hennepin County forensic science supervisor and DNA technical leader Allison King handles a sample of the kind of plate formerly used by the crime lab, which was found to be contaminated. (Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
It’s square with 96 holes in the shape of tiny pipettes where DNA swabs are inserted for testing. The swabs are like long Q-tips, similar to what’s used to test for COVID-19, only these are used to match genetic profiles from evidence like blood droplets near a broken window or residue left on steering wheels from car thefts. King estimated her office processes about 10,000 DNA samples per year.
That means they need a lot of the plastic bricks. They are shipped to the lab in boxes of 10.
When the lab runs a test there are samples from multiple crime scenes.