UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder triggered a manhunt resulting in the arrest of suspect Luigi Mangione. The aftermath saw a nationwide uproar surrounding the American healthcare system.
On Nov. 24, 2024, the gunman arrived on a Greyhound bus, beginning his journey in Atlanta, Georgia before arriving at New York City.
The shooting occurred on Dec. 4. beginning with the perpetrator leaving a hostel at 5:34 a.m. and riding an e-bike to midtown Manhattan. Around 6:15 a.m. the assailant made his way to the “north side of West 54th Street across from the New York Hilton Midtown” before fatally shooting Thompson in front of the north entrance of the Hilton. While shooting Thompson, Mangione’s gun malfunctioned, but he cleared the jammed gun and continued to fire. He then fled on the e-bike through Central Park, and after escaping by bus, spent several days roaming around the Pennsylvania area.
On Dec. 8, authorities spoke with suspect Luigi Mangione’s mother who confirmed filing a missing person’s report, corroborating photographic evidence with security footage found at the various locations the perpetrator visited. Mangione was taken into custody on Dec. 9 in Altoona, Pennsylvania after being spotted in a McDonald’s. He was found with a gun, bullets, several, fake IDs and cash.
The Manhattan District attorney announced charges against Mangione of “first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism.” Furthermore, in New York, he has been charged with, “two counts of second-degree murder, one of which is charged as killing as an act of terrorism; two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree; four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree; one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree; and one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree.” Additional charges include stalking as well as several charges in Pennsylvania regarding a lack of a firearm license as well as forgery of a gun.
The gun Mangione used is known as a “ghost gun,” having been created on a 3D printer. The words “delay”, “deny” and “depose” were found written on the bullet casings found at the scene. The words are reminiscent of common phrases used to criticise the insurance industry that often denies claims in the effort to save money.
Mangione came from a wealthy Maryland family and was reportedly top of his class at his private high school. He attended an Ivy League university and according to friends “had everything going for him” as he pursued a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in computer science at the University of Pennsylvania. Working as a data engineer for TrueCar, Mangione split his time between California and Hawaii in a co-living surfing community called Surfbreak. He left due to a back injury which has worsened from his activities. Friends of Mangione explained that he had surgery on his back, with the background of Mangione’s supposed X account showing an X-ray of a spine with “hardware” in it.
When caught, Mangione had “several handwritten pages on him” that expressed a “disdain for corporate America” that according to New York Police Department (NYPD) Chief of Detective Joe Kenny implied that he was “frustrated with the healthcare system in the United States.” The writings addressed to the “Feds” explained that he did want to “apologize for any strife of traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.”
He went on claiming that the United States (U.S.) has “the most expensive healthcare system in the world, but ranks No. 42 in life expectancy.” Mangione explained that UnitedHealthcare “has grown and grown, but as our life expectancy? No the reality is, these (indecipherable) have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit.”
The public reaction to the murder has generated a bipartisan fervor surrounding the American healthcare system with people reacting to articles of the shooting with laughing emojis and responses like, “Prior authorization is required for thoughts and prayers, you know?” And there was another person that wrote, “Does he have a history of shootings? Denied coverage.”
New Yorker Reporter Jia Tolentino provided some insight into this, explaining that UnitedHealthcare as a corporation is the eighth largest in the world and has accumulated incredible profits almost entirely due to the fact that the company denies massive amounts of care to its clientele. UnitedHealthcare’s denial rate is twice the industry average at 32-33% denial for all care requested by a doctor, which to Tolentino, explains the public vitriol and vindication felt at Thompson’s death.
Tolentino highlights, The glee that people are expressing at this cold-blooded murder is illuminating the fact that many people think of the private health care system in the US – and specifically UnitedHealthcare – as a company that itself has achieved these billions and billions and billions of dollars of profits in not provisioning health care but indirectly provisioning death through a kind of severe and immoral and unjust violence on its own.”
Mangione’s trial began on Dec. 23, with the defendant pleading not guilty on all 11 charges. Mangione arrived flanked by many guards and surveyed by many prominent figures such as New York Mayor Eric Adams. Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Agnifilo, spoke out against what she saw as an unfair trial for her client: “They are literally treating him like he is some sort of political fodder, like some sort of spectacle,”
Agnifilo said in court. “He was on display for everyone to see in the biggest stage perp walk I’ve ever seen in my career, it was absolutely unnecessary. He’s been cooperative with law enforcement…There was no reason for the NYPD and everybody to have these big assault rifles. It was perfectly choreographed, and what was the New York City Mayor doing at this press conference, your honor? That just made it utterly political”
While the verdict of the trial has yet to be determined, his next court appearance will be Feb. 21, 2025. However, if found guilty, Mangione will face prison and under federal charges, potentially the death penalty.
