Luigi Mangione identified as person of interest in UnitedHealthcare murder investigation

Andrew Keshner

“It appears he has some ill will toward corporate America,” said NYPD Chief Detective.

A man was taken into custody Monday in Pennsylvania in connection with last week’s fatal shooting of a UnitedHealth Group Inc. executive outside a Manhattan hotel, according to New York City police officials.

The murder last Wednesday of Brian Thompson – the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, the health insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group – sparked a police manhunt, as well as a broad and fierce conversation across the country about health care coverage and rejected claims.

Today, Luigi Mangione, 26, is in custody in Altoona, Pennsylvania, according to NYPD officials. “At this time, we believe he is our person of interest,” New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Monday afternoon.

Mangione was found with handwritten documents that could testify to his motivation, according to Tisch. Although the investigation is ongoing, “it appears he has some ill will toward corporate America,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a news conference.

Mangione appears to come from a life of privilege, with a private school education and an Ivy League pedigree.

He graduated in 2016 from the Gilman School in Baltimore, according to media reports. Tuition at the all-boys school is about $38,000, according to its website.

“Luigi Mangione’s alleged involvement in this matter is deeply distressing news that adds to an already horrific situation. Our hearts go out to everyone involved. Here on campus, our focus will remain on caring and educate our students,” the Gilman School said in a statement. a declaration.

Mangione went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, according to his LinkedIn page. These degrees were in both engineering, computer science and information science, according to his profile.

Representatives for the University of Pennsylvania did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mangione’s profile also states that he worked as a data engineer at online car shopping platform TrueCar Inc. (TRUE) for approximately four years. A TrueCar spokesperson said that while the company does not generally comment on personnel matters, it could confirm that Mangione last worked at the company in 2023.

Shares of UnitedHealth Group, UNH, closed Monday up 2.5% after falling about 10% following the attack.

Thompson, 50, was shot once in the back and once in the leg early Wednesday morning before speaking at an investor event for the insurer.

“We hope that today’s arrest brings some relief to family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy,” a UnitedHealth Group spokesperson said Monday. “We thank law enforcement and will continue to work with them on this investigation. We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy while they grieve.”

A McDonald’s (MCD) employee in Altoona recognized Mangione in the widely publicized case and contacted authorities. Mangione is currently facing gun charges in Altoona, Pennsylvania, according to Kenny, and criminal charges in Manhattan will be determined at a later date.

Mangione’s possessions at the time of his arrest included what appeared to be a “ghost gun,” perhaps created with a 3D printer, Kenny noted. The firearm was capable of firing 9-millimeter bullets, he said, stressing that the investigation is ongoing.

Police found the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” on bullet casings outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where Thompson was shot. This led to speculation that these words were an allusion to a 2010 book titled “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It” by Rutgers professor Jay M. Feinman Law School. specialized in insurance law.

Mangione was found by authorities with a manifesto, according to the New York Post. “These parasites planned it,” Mangione allegedly wrote in the document, according to CNN, citing an unnamed police official. “I apologize for any conflict and trauma, but it had to be done,” he added.

Nearly a year before his arrest, he apparently gave a glowing review in Goodreads to a book written by Ted Kaczynski, the domestic terrorist known as the “Unabomber.”

“It’s easy and thoughtless to dismiss this as a madman’s manifesto, in order to avoid confronting some of the uncomfortable problems he identifies. But it is simply impossible to ignore how many his predictions about modern society proved prescient.” according to a review written by an account featuring Mangione’s face.

-Andrew Keshner

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