Luigi Mangione has been in the eyes of the nation for the past two months. Mangione, 24, is accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, in Manhattan on December 4, 2024. Mangione has been in custody pending his trial.
Mangione is awaiting his trial after having plead not-guilty on 11 charges, including first and second degree murder. Mangione’s next court appearance is set for February 21.
Mangione was taken into custody at a McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania and had fake ids and passports on him at that time. In addition to his capture, police also found a backpack containing monopoly money and a jacket.
A notebook found with the backpack allegedly belonging to Mangione was also found in the area of the backpack. New York City Police are offering $10,000 for any new information.
According to the New York Times Mangione was born and raised in Maryland with his two sisters MariaSanta Mangione and Luciana Mangione. His parents Louis and Kathleen Mangione own several different franchises from Louis father’s including Hayfields and Turf Valley country clubs, Lorien Health and a radio station.
Mangione got his bachelors and masters degree at the University of Pennsylvania for computer and informational science. He has done a lot of volunteer work around his local community and was highly regarded by the people around him.
Mangione’s hostility toward UnitedHealthcare was because of its history of being unable to help clients even though he was not himself a customer.
According to CNN, Mangione’s fingerprints were found near the scene along with a notebook. Within the notebook, Mangione wrote that he was planning on using a bomb. However, he decided against it due to the innocent lives it would put in danger.
Following the death of Brian Thompson, Tim Noell who has been with UnitedHealthcare since 2007 became CEO. He had previously been a part of the executive team.
Following the death of Brian Thompson, large companies are taking security very seriously in attempts to prevent it from happening again. According to CNN, companies are closing headquarters, removing the top executives’ photos from their websites and increasing security around buildings.
While many defend Mangione’s actions in light of United Healthcare’s alleged malpractice, others agree that Mangione’s arrest and trial should continue. “We don’t want anyone dying in the street. We also don’t want anyone dying or in pain due to a broken so-called healthcare system,” said Megan Thiele Strong, a sociology professor at San José State University.