In a story that has left communities across the nation appalled, Luigi Mangione, a former Ivy League student, was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The arrest, which ended a nationwide manhunt, brought to light shocking details of Mangione’s life, motivations, and manifesto, which condemned the healthcare industry as exploitative and profit-driven.
Brian Thompson was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel in what police described as a targeted attack. Grainy surveillance footage caught the man-matching Mangione’s description-who had fled the scene, and a desperate multi-state manhunt ensued. On Monday, Mangione was captured in a McDonald’s at Altoona.
At the time of his arrest, Mangione had a ghost gun with a suppressor, along with four phony I.D.s and a several-page handwritten manifesto detailing his problems with the healthcare world. Law-enforcement sources also confirmed for CNN that his clothing matched the appearance of the suspect seen around New York.
A two-and-a-half-page-long handwritten screed from Mangione, the manifesto skewered the health system as one that protected profits over patients. UnitedHealthcare came in for especially vitriolic commentary- he accused it of treating Americans like sheep.
“These parasites simply had it coming,” the manifesto read, echoing themes of anti-capitalism and criticism of systems. Mangione also referenced controversial figures like Ted Kaczynski, the infamous “Unabomber,” though he stopped short of endorsing Kaczynski’s violent actions. He admired Kaczynski’s critiques of modern society-particularly about how technology and capitalism impact people’s mental health.
Investigators believe that Mangione’s hatred for the healthcare sector could have been influenced by personal tragedies. His grandmother died in 2013, and in 2017, his grandfather also passed away. These instances appeared to shape his beliefs, as it was reported that their medical treatment contributed to his complaints. Online activity also showed Mangione dealing with chronic back pain and researching literature on chronic pain to further emphasize his anger toward the industry.
The arrest of Mangione has left his former classmates and colleagues utterly disbelieving. Born into a rich family in Maryland, Mangione was an excellent student. He attended Baltimore’s prestigious Gilman School, graduating valedictorian in 2016, after which he pursued dual engineering degrees at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated cum laude and was also a tech entrepreneur who had founded a gaming app development startup, and he ran a student-run video game development club at Penn.
“Luigi was always smiling and seemed well-adjusted,” said a high school classmate. “It’s shocking to think he could be involved in something like this.”
Those with whom he associated described the tall, lanky Mangione as brilliant but socially distant-in recent years. His presence suggested that he lived in Honolulu, Hawaii, and as a data engineer, all according to his LinkedIn; however, it would have seemed that in late 2023, he also cut ties with friends there.
Both Gilman School and the University of Pennsylvania were deeply saddened by the incident. Gilman’s headmaster Henry Smyth described the news as “deeply distressing.” Penn alumni expressed shock on social media.
Authorities also continue to investigate Mangione’s family ties to the healthcare industry: his relatives own Lorien Health Services, a chain of nursing homes. His view or practice was, as yet, unknown to be influenced by this. Mental health experts have pointed out that this case underlined how high achievement exacts psychological costs. The debates concerning corporate health practices and providing mental health support to the high performers, even how societal pressures contributed to the tragic descent, will be refought in light of Mangione’s manifesto and actions.
