Person who called 911, not the tiplines, about the CEO shooting suspect can still get the reward

A McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania, called in a tip that ended a dayslong manhunt for the person accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro lauded the act, calling the person who gave the tip a "hero." But social media users are claiming that’s an empty platitude. 

"Josh Shapiro called the McDonald’s employee who reported Luigi Mangione a ‘hero.’ She will NOT get the $10,000 reward money because she called 911 instead of the tip line," a Dec. 16 Threads post read. "By the way, Josh Shapiro got $15,000 in donations from United Healthcare last year. Numbers are fun."

A Dec. 17 Instagram post made the same claim.

These posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

The New York City Police Department offered up to $10,000 for information that would help arrest and convict the shooter, and the FBI offered up to $50,000 on top of it. The tip led to the arrest of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who now faces federal charges including stalking and murder through the use of a firearm.

The police and FBI have separate tiplines for people who want to provide information. But an FBI spokesperson told PolitiFact the social media claim is incorrect, and that anyone who reaches out to law enforcement, regardless of the method, would be eligible for a reward. 

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stated on December 9, 2024 in social media posts

Video shows CEO homicide suspect Luigi Mangione posted YouTube videos teasing his plans

The spokesperson did not provide more information on this specific case, or what kind of process would be followed to distribute the FBI's reward.

The city’s police foundation distributes its rewards, which are funded through donations. 

PolitiFact did not receive a response from the foundation in time for publication, but in a statement reported by The Associated Press, the police foundation board said, "The individual in Pennsylvania, who called in a tip, is eligible to receive the reward." The AP also reported that the McDonald’s employee called 911.

A reward is provided when a tip "leads to an arrest and indictment," the New York Police Department Crime Stoppers website says. The police foundation decides the reward amount based on committee review. 

People who call in to the Crime Stoppers tipline receive a reference number; the department does not save their contact information. Tipsters can follow up on the information after one week. 

As to whether Shapiro received donations from UnitedHealthcare, its parent company, UnitedHealth Group, reported a $10,000 contribution in 2023. It also reported a $15,000 contribution to Shapiro in 2022. These contributions were made through the UnitedHealth Group PAC, the company’s political action committee.

But the tipster at McDonald’s hasn’t been deprived of the chance for the reward. We rate that claim False. 

RELATED: No, a McDonald’s employee isn’t getting a $500,000 reward for tip on UnitedHealthcare CEO’s shooter