At 6:45 a.m. on Dec. 4, 2024, Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare, was shot from behind three times as he was making his way to the annual United Health Group Investors meeting in the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The suspect, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, fled toward Central Park and led law enforcement on a five-day national manhunt until his arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
On Dec. 23, Mangione plead not guilty to eleven New York state charges and four federal charges, including first-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and murder in furtherance of terrorism. Prosecutors say that the federal and state cases will progress in parallel and are expected to begin in mid-February.
Mangione, born to a wealthy family in Towson, Maryland, on May 6, 1998, attended the prestigious Gilman School, an all-boys private school in Baltimore, graduating as valedictorian in 2016.
Mangione went on to receive a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Engineering for Computer Engineering and a Master’s degree of Science in Engineering in Computer and Information Science from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020.
Mangione was “a thoughtful and deeply compassionate person,” according to Jackie Wexler, a friend of Mangione, while living in a co-living space called Surfbreak near Honolulu’s Ala Moana Beach Park. Mangione was committed to personal development through reading and working out but suffered from severe back pain, as noted by R.J. Martin, Manione’s former roommate and founder of Surfbreak.
Spondylolisthesis is a back condition that occurs when a vertebra in the back slips out of position, putting pressure on the vertebra below it, causing back pain along with other painful symptoms. In Reddit posts alleged to be Mangione, he claims he was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis as a child, but his condition became unbearable after a surfing accident in 2022.
There are more than 3 million Americans who are diagnosed with spondylolisthesis per year, and nearly half (approximately 45%) of all Americans suffer from at least one chronic illness. Many online have used Mangione’s alleged actions as a way of venting frustrations over health insurance coverage denials and hefty medical bills.
Although information continues to emerge about possible motives for the fatal shooting, the alleged Manifesto found with Mangione at the time of his arrest hinted at a vague hatred of corporate greed and an expression of anger toward “parasitic” health insurance companies.
The reaction of netizens (internet citizens, avid internet users) to this incident was entirely unexpected. Since the shooting, fanfiction, TikTok edits, fan art, and even Mangione cosplay can be spotted all over the internet. Many posts show great disdain for health insurers, with many condoning and supporting Mangione.
“He took action against private health insurance corporations is what he did.He was a brave Italian martyr. In this house, Luigi Mangione is a hero, end of story!” one anonymous person said in a post on X with nearly 2 million views.
Mangione’s case has captivated the nation’s attention, for better or worse. Since the shooting, conversations regarding many aspects of American life have been unfolding, shedding light on issues uncommonly discussed by the public.
Mangione waits for trial in Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center and may face the death penalty if found guilty of the charges brought against him.