Commissioner announces match of handgun and fingerprints in UnitedHealthcare CEO's murder.

The NYPD Commissioner, Jessica Tisch, confirms that police have linked a 3D-printed gun found near the suspected killer, Luigi Mangione, to the shell casings discovered outside the New York City Hilton where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot last week.

"The gun in question has been returned to the NYPD crime lab from Pennsylvania, where it was found. We were able to match the gun to the three shell casings found at the scene of the homicide in Midtown."

She mentioned that they also have his fingerprints on a snack bar wrapper and a water bottle.

"We matched the person of interest's fingerprints with those found on both the water bottle and the KIND bar near the homicide scene in midtown," she added.

Previously, Tisch and NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny informed Planet Chronicle that they discovered a burner phone and other physical evidence associated with the suspect, which they were examining for fingerprints and DNA evidence.

Mauro stated that Altoona police likely fingerprinted Mangione after his arrest in Pennsylvania on Monday for fake ID and firearms charges and uploaded the information to a law enforcement database the same day.

After the murder, investigators in New York were able to quickly match the suspects with samples recovered in the city.

When Mangione was arrested, Altoona police discovered a black 3D-printed pistol and a black suppressor.

"According to court documents, the pistol had a metal slide, a plastic handle with a metal threaded barrel, and one loaded Glock magazine with six nine-millimeter full metal jacket rounds."

According to authorities, the NYPD previously stated that it found both spent casings and unfired rounds near the Hilton hotel where Thompson was killed on December 4th. The shells had inscriptions on them, including "deny," "defend," and "depose."

Although Mangione had an active Goodreads account, the book "Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It" was not on his reading list.

Investigators are examining whether a rejected claim may have contributed to the murder.

In a Pennsylvania jail, Mangione is being held without bail, awaiting extradition to New York to face murder and other charges.

In court on Tuesday, his lawyer announced that he intended to challenge extradition, which could postpone his transfer to New York custody for several days or weeks.

In addition to facing charges in Pennsylvania, he was also found with a 3D-printed ghost gun, a fake ID, and $10,000 cash.

Despite plans to proceed with their case, local prosecutors acknowledged that more serious homicide charges from out of state would take priority.