What about the 911 Call from the McDonald’s employee?

Examining the Official Story of the Call that Led to Luigi Mangione’s Arrest

Over the past several weeks, speculation has been running wild about the exact circumstances of Luigi Mangione’s arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Across Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), and various online forums, one major question has dominated the conversation: Where is the 911 call?

Many Redditors and online sleuths have raised this question, with a significant number of people asserting that 911 calls are “usually released quickly” after major crimes. However, this assertion is incorrect. Contrary to public perception, 911 recordings are generally not released until the conclusion of an investigation, if they are released at all. While law enforcement agencies have the discretion to release them earlier, they often withhold them to protect ongoing proceedings, making the lack of a 911 call in Mangione’s case unsurprising from a legal standpoint.

The Official Narrative vs. Online Speculation

According to official reports, an unnamed customer at the Altoona McDonald’s spotted Mangione and believed he matched the description of the suspect wanted for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City. This customer allegedly alerted a McDonald’s employee, who then called 911, prompting local police to arrive and arrest Mangione without incident. However, despite the media’s repeated reference to this 911 call, the public has yet to hear it or even receive confirmation of its existence.1 Here is video of the unnamed customer at the Altoona McDonalds claiming he is the one who reported Mangione to the McDonald’s employee:

This lack of public access has fueled speculation online. Some theorists have questioned whether a 911 call was even made, suggesting instead that law enforcement had been tracking Mangione’s movements using surveillance footage or even facial recognition technology at the McDonald’s self-service kiosks. Others have argued that he was under surveillance from the moment he left New York, making the claim of a citizen tip-off a mere cover story.

Personally, I share in the doubt that the 911 call exists, although I also doubt facial recognition technology at McDonald’s was used. I still do not believe that Mangione was the person who pulled the trigger in the surveillance video of the shooting of Brian Thompson, rather I believe he is being used as a “fall guy” who federal agents or members of the intelligence community set up to be in exactly the places they wanted him to be.

It would be very easy for an FBI informant or government agent to tip off someone in the McDonalds to make the 911 call, or to make the call themselves claiming to be a McDonald’s employee. Another fascinating ripple in this story is that there was a $60,000 reward out for information leading to the arrest of Luigi Mangione (comprising $10,000 from the NYPD and $50,000 from the FBI) that media outlets widely reported would NOT go to the McDonald’s employee who supposedly called the tip in.2

For the $10,000 NYPD reward, tips must be submitted through the Crime Stoppers hotline to qualify for the reward. Since the McDonald’s employee called 911 instead of using the Crime Stoppers hotline, they do not meet this requirement. The FBI’s $50,000 reward is contingent upon the information leading to both the arrest and conviction of the suspect. Therefore, the reward doesn’t have to be disbursed until after a conviction, which could be years. Even with a conviction, a defendant can appeal. Additionally, the FBI requires that a law enforcement agency involved in the investigation nominates the tipster for the reward; individuals cannot nominate themselves. 3

That all sounds like a whole lotta BS to me–it also sounds like a series of things law enforcement might say to avoid ever discussing the identity of the tipster again, especially if there actually isn’t one.

Can the 911 Call Be Obtained?

You may have heard of FOIA or Freedom of Information Act requests. These are requests for records from federal agencies. However, 911 calls and 911 records are handled at the state and local level, not the federal level. In PA, you can submit what is called a Right to Know Law or RTKL request for the records to the local agency. However, Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) allows agencies to deny access to 911 call recordings if:

• It could compromise an investigation

• It contains personally identifiable information (e.g., the caller’s name or phone number)

• It poses a public safety risk

As you can imagine, they could use any one of those reasons to deny the request in this case, as it is an ongoing investigation of a crime they’ve deemed an act of terrorism. If denied, you can appeal the denial through the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR).

I know what you’re thinking–but there is a federal investigation and federal criminal charges, so since the 911 call if for a federal investigation, cant you FOIA them anyway? Well, technically yes, but practically, no. If the FBI, DOJ, or another federal agency has obtained the 911 call as part of a federal prosecution, they MAY be subject to FOIA requests. However, FOIA has exemptions, particularly Exemption 7(A), which allows agencies to withhold records that could interfere with ongoing law enforcement proceedings. Meaning, if the case is still ongoing (as this one is), they are likely to deny your request.

In any event, because the 911 recording is originally held by Blair County’s 911 Center, you still need to do a Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) request in Pennsylvania as discussed earlier before attempting a FOIA request. Where a RTKL request denial allows you a chance an appeal, a FOIA request denial does not. And, either one can be denied due to being evidence in an ongoing investigation.

Taking Action: RTKL Requests Filed

To cut through the speculation, I have personally submitted two RTKL requests for the 911 call and related records from local agencies in Altoona. If those requests are denied, I will appeal through the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records and document the entire process. I will also continue to monitor whether any additional information surfaces regarding the exact method of Mangione’s capture.

While much remains uncertain, one thing is clear: the absence of a publicly released 911 call is not in itself unusual. However, given the level of interest in this case, transparency from law enforcement would go a long way toward addressing the growing number of questions about the official story. If and when I receive responses to my records requests, I will make them public here.

– Lauren Davidson-Ibarra 

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