Law enforcement authorities have detained a 26-year-old technology specialist and Ivy League alumnus in relation to the homicide of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The suspect, Luigi Mangione, is a native of Towson, Maryland, and is known to hold anti-capitalist beliefs. It is believed that Mangione harbored a grudge against the medical sector due to the experiences of a sick family member and possibly his own encounters with the industry.
Mangione, a member of a well-known Maryland family, was arrested in connection with Thompson’s fatal shooting. His digital footprint revealed an interest in Ted Kaczynski, the notorious “Unabomber,” and a strong aversion to the healthcare industry. His GoodReads account displayed a collection of books on chronic back pain, including titles such as “Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery,” and “Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease―and How to Fight It.”
Those who knew Mangione during his high school years were stunned to hear of his potential involvement in the crime. A former classmate described him as a person who always did the right thing and never seemed socially awkward. Mangione was a valedictorian and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He was also a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity during his time at Penn.
Mangione was captured at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, concluding an intense search initiated by Thompson’s murder outside a Manhattan hotel. Upon his arrest, he was found in possession of a ghost gun, a silencer, a US passport, four counterfeit IDs, and a manifesto that mirrored the anti-establishment views of Kaczynski.
The manifesto, which spanned two and a half handwritten pages, suggested that Mangione acted independently. It also included a critique of the Unabomber’s manifesto, in which Mangione characterized Kaczynski as a violent individual who harmed innocent people but also as an extreme political revolutionary.
Mangione’s LinkedIn profile indicates that he previously worked in a family-owned assisted-living facility for the elderly. He is also a cousin of Republican Baltimore County Delegate Nino Mangione. His online activity revealed his support for anti-capitalist and climate-change causes.
Mangione graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Computer and Information Science in 2020. He also earned a Master of Science in Engineering, Computer and Information Science from the same institution. His LinkedIn profile suggests he is a data engineer at a California-based car company, although he lists his current residence as Honolulu, Hawaii.