Sources: Intruder on UnitedHealthcare campus wanted to ‘make a statement’
(KSTP) — Minnetonka police say one person is now in custody after an intruder was reported to be on the campus of UnitedHealthcare late Monday morning.
The intruder was identified later in the day by his mother as 26-year-old Ian Wagner. Wagner is currently in custody at the Hennepin County Jail.
A spokesperson for the Minnetonka police department tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that officers were called to the campus for an intruder around 11 a.m. after he threatened violence at the facility if specific demands were not met.
Authorities with the FBI Minneapolis Field Office worked with Minnetonka police to negotiate with Wagner on the phone.
Officers made a perimeter around the campus and arrested Wagner about 45 minutes after the initial response.
Minnetonka police said there is no indication Wagner had “specific grievances” against UnitedHealthcare.
Wagner’s mother said that her son wanted to send a message, adding that he called her from outside the building and told her he was going to shoot into it.
Sources tell 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that a gun was found in the front seat of Wagner’s car. It’s not clear how close he got to the building, but the barriers in the parking lot stopped his vehicle.
A UnitedHealthcare spokesperson tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS the arrest happened off campus.
“I had no idea he was going there,” Wagner’s mother said. When asked if he was trying to make a statement, she said, “Just to get basically attention to the fact that it’s not so much UnitedHealthcare, it’s healthcare in general.”
Wagner’s mother also said he is dealing with a mental illness and is on the spectrum.
A spokesperson for UnitedHealthcare sent the following statement on Monday evening: “The safety and security of our colleagues is our top priority. We are grateful that law enforcement acted quickly to resolve the situation near our Minnesota offices today. Based on what we know of the situation, the individual made no demands against UnitedHealthcare. There is no reason to believe there were specific grievances against the company.”
The Minnetonka police department initially posted about the incident on X late Monday morning, saying they were monitoring the situation.
In an update Monday evening, a spokesperson for the department said, “This swift and peaceful resolution underscores the strength of partnership between law enforcement.”
The investigation is still ongoing.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reported just last month that UnitedHealthcare has been paying Minnetonka Police to patrol its headquarters almost daily. In December, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Brian Thompson, was gunned down outside of a New York City hotel. The accused murderer, Luigi Mangione, was eventually arrested in Pennsylvania after walking into a McDonald’s.
In the days immediately following the shooting, a Minnetonka police officer arrived at the sprawling campus of UnitedHealthcare before the sun came up, according to records obtained by 5 INVESTIGATES. Those records reveal an officer has been stationed at the entrance of the main building nearly every day for the last three months.