A man carrying a backpack containing an AR-style pistol was arrested Thursday after entering health insurer Aetna’s headquarters in Hartford, Connecticut, according to police. Security guards detained him without incident within three minutes of his arrival, shortly after 10 a.m., and held him until city police officers arrived. He was charged with illegal possession of an assault weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, possession of a large-capacity ammunition magazine, and trespassing.
The arrest comes amid heightened concerns about the safety of health care industry employees and executives following the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City — a case that drew sustained public attention to anger directed at the health insurance industry.
What police said
Hartford police Lt. Aaron Boisvert said it was not immediately clear what the man’s plans were. A Hartford police spokesperson said security staff at the building held the man until city officers arrived.
Court and public records show the man has a criminal history that includes convictions for assault, threatening, and drug possession, according to the Associated Press. It was not immediately clear whether he had a lawyer who could respond to the allegations, police said.
Company statement
CVS Health, Aetna’s parent company and based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, released a brief statement on the incident. “Earlier today, a suspicious person attempted to enter our office, was apprehended immediately by our security team and taken into custody by local police,” the company said. CVS Health did not immediately respond to follow-up questions.
Context
The incident follows the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in December 2024. Luigi Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges connected to Thompson’s killing. Mangione has become a cause célèbre for some people upset with the health insurance industry, according to the Associated Press.
In February 2026, CVS Health announced it would lay off more than 300 remote workers who reported to the Aetna headquarters.