National spotlight turns to Altoona
Media flurry swarms to region once word of arrest spreads
Local News
Dec 10, 2024

Conner Goetz
Staff Writer
cgoetz@altoonamirror.com


Altoona Police Sgt. Matt Plummer tells media members what will happen when Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is transported from the station to the Blair County Courthouse for arraignment. Mirror photo by Rachel Foor

Blair County was thrust into the national spotlight Monday, as the suspected shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was arrested at the Plank Road McDonald’s after being identified by a patron. ... After a nearly weeklong manhunt, suspect Luigi Mangione was discovered more than 200 miles away in Altoona after allegedly fleeing New York on a bus from the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.

National news crews flocked to the area after word spread that a suspect in the killing had been arrested, prompting a flood of scrutiny on the city and county. ... According to Google Trends, Dec. 9 was the most-searched day for Altoona since the tech company began collecting search-tracking data in 2004.


Luigi Mangione was arrested by Altoona Police Department officers at McDonald’s, 407 E. Plank Road, Altoona, on Monday. Social media reaction to the arrest was mixed, with some siding with Mangione’s dissatisfaction with the health care industry. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

This traffic was primarily driven by searchers from Pennsylvania and Iowa — Thompson was born in Ames, Iowa, and graduated from nearby South Hamilton High School in Jewell Junction. ... Blair County’s unexpected prominence online led to a surge of negative reviews for the McDonald’s restaurant where Mangione was arrested.

Comments ranged from a Kansas resident who wrote “They should fire their staff” on the location’s Yelp page, to a reviewer from Iowa who claimed to have eaten at the local McDonald’s in the past. ... A commenter from South Carolina said they “(n)arced on Superman. No secrets safe here. Negative stars weren’t possible but man Lex Luther would love this place. Full of snitches.” ... Social media was filled with sympathy and people voicing their support for Mangione once news of his arrest broke.

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Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.