A man armed with an “AR-style pistol” walked into health insurer Aetna’s headquarters in Connecticut — but was quickly tackled by security, officials said.
An employee noticed a suspicious man enter the Hartford building around 10 a.m. Thursday and alerted security, according to an internal email obtained by the Hartford Courant from Christopher Knight, vice president of security of Aetna’s parent, company CVS Health.
The man, identified by police as Denrey Wadlington, 51, “entered the building carrying a backpack that contained an AR-style pistol,” according to the Hartford Police Department.
Security guards detained him without incident within three minutes of him walking in, according to police.
They held him until city police officers arrived and took him into custody.
Washington was charged with third-degree criminal trespass, criminal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of an assault weapon and possession of a large capacity magazine.
His plans were not immediately clear, Lt. Aaron Boisvert said.
Court and public records show he has a criminal history that includes convictions for assault, threatening and drug possession.
Knight told company employees in the email that they “immediately activated our security process, collaborated with the local police department, and were able to address the situation quickly and safely.”
“As a normal part of their investigation into calls like this one, the police will be onsite throughout the day and we wanted you to be aware.”
The alarming incident comes amid heightened fears for healthcare executives after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in New York City, allegedly by Ivy League graduate Luigi Mangione in vengeance for insurance policies. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both federal and state charges related to the killing.
In February, CVS Health, Aetna’s parent company, announced it would be laying off more than 300 remote workers who reported to the Aetna headquarters.
The company 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 statement said.
With Post Wires
