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Luigi Mangione latest: UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect ‘considered bombing Manhattan’

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect is fighting extradition to New York where he faces a second-degree murder charge in connection to Brian Thompson’s death

Katie Hawkinson,James Liddell,Andrea Cavallier
Wednesday 11 December 2024 10:31 GMT
Luigi Mangione struggles against officers as he’s taken to court

Luigi Mangione is said to have considered using a bomb in Manhattan in his alleged plot to kill the UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, sources say.

A “to-do list” found inside a spiral notebook was apparently gleaned along with the shooting suspect’s 262-page manifesto, a ghost gun and false ID cards upon his arrest at an Altoona, Pennsylvania McDonald’s on Monday.

Mangione, 26, reportedly decided against using the bomb as it “could kill innocents” and instead opted for a more targeted approach, allegedly musing what could be better “to kill the CEO at his own bean counting conference,” according to a CNN.

The suspect faced an extradition hearing Tuesday in Pennsylvania after New York prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder in connection with last week’s brazen killing in Midtown Manhattan.

“It’s completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience!,” Mangione yelled as he was escorted in handcuffs into the Blair County Courthouse.

Mangione was denied bail and is fighting extradition. His lawyer said he is expects to plead not guilty. He will remain in a Pennsylvania jail while fighting being returned to New York.

Watch: McDonald’s customer recalls moment he spotted Luigi Mangione

McDonald’s customer speaks out about moment he spotted Luigi Mangione in fast food joint
James Liddell11 December 2024 10:20

What Luigi Mangione’s social media tells us

The alleged killer of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO shared content praising billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Peter Thiel on social media.

Luigi Mangione, who was charged with murder in New York City on Monday night over the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson, has been portrayed as being “anticapitalist” by some and hailed a “ hero” by others for taking a radical stance against the American health insurance industry.

But the reality appears to be more complex, with the Ivy League-educated 26-year-old having supported sentiments shared by some of the world’s richest men, according to his X profile.

Earlier this year, Mangione shared a post on his X account of another user praising Musk for his “commitment to long-term civilization success.”

Rhian Lubin has the story.

Alleged CEO killer praised Elon Musk and backed Peter Thiel in social media posts

The Ivy League-educated 26-year-old appears to have supported sentiments shared by some of the world’s richest men

Josh Marcus11 December 2024 10:00

NYPD concerned about ‘copycat killers’

With Luigi Mangione in handcuffs and charged with murder in connection with Brian Thompson’s death, the New York Police Department’s work is far from over.

It is now investigating possible motives and working to prevent any copycat killings or attacks, a senior law enforcement official said.

“Whenever an incident of this high prominence takes place, our work is to get ahead of any resonance and in particular, any copycat activity that it may inspire,” Rebecca Weiner, the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism, told ABC 7 New York.

“We do a lot of work in the online space, we also do a lot of work in the 3-D space.”

She added: “And we also, as part of that, we’ll surge resources, protective resources, around the city wherever we need to, when we’re anticipating and dealing with a big uptick in threats.”

James Liddell11 December 2024 09:40

Mangione mused bombing Manhattan in chilling ‘to-do list’

Luigi Mangione is said to have considered using a bomb in Manhattan in his alleged plot to kill the UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, according to a so-called “to-list” reviewed by CNN.

The list was apparently found inside a spiral notebook that was gleaned along with the shooting suspect’s 262-page manifesto, a ghost gun and false ID cards upon his arrest at an Altoona, Pennsylvania McDonald’s on Monday.

Mangione, 26, reportedly decided against using the bomb as it “could kill innocents” and instead opted for a more targeted approach to allegedly murder the “CEO at his own bean counting conference,” according to a CNN.

In another passage in the notebook, Mangione wrote about the Unabomber – domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski – who he wrote about in online posts and urged his book club in Hawaii to read his memoir.

James Liddell11 December 2024 09:20

GoFundMe eliminates fundraisers for Luigi Mangione

GoFundMe has shut down multiple pages created to support the accused murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

A masked man fatally shot Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on December 4 before escaping out of the city, leading to a six-day manhunt for the gunman, which ended Thursday with the arrest of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione. He has been charged with murder.

The insurance executive’s death captivated the nation and sparked serious conversations about the state of health care in the U.S., with some even celebrating the execution as many shared stories of being denied coverage for care. Since his arrest, GoFundMe pages have cropped up in support of Mangione, and the fundraising site has been removing them. It’s not immediately clear how many pages the site took down.

A GoFundMe spokesperson told The Independent in a statement: “GoFundMe’s Terms of Service prohibit fundraisers for the legal defense of violent crimes. The fundraisers have been removed from our platform and all donors have been refunded.”

Kelly Rissman reports.

GoFundMe slaps down fundraisers popping up for suspected CEO killer

‘Legal defense for he who shall not be named wink, wink,’ one now-removed page read

Josh Marcus11 December 2024 09:00

What is spondylolisthesis? The spinal conditioning that may have plagued Mangione

Brian Thompson’s alleged killer is said to have suffered with chronic back pain – and apparently wrote a handwritten note stating that he was suffering from spondylolisthesis, CNN reports.

But what is the condition?

Spondylolisthesis is where a vertebra, one of the bones in your spine, slips or shifts forward onto the vertebra below. It often occurs in the lower back.

Doctors can diagnose spondylolisthesis as either low-grade or high-grade, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

“A high-grade slip occurs when more than 50% of the width of the fractured vertebra slips forward on the vertebra below it,” its website reads.

Those with a high-grade slip are more likely to experience “significant pain” and “nerve injury” and need surgery to relieve their symptoms, according to the AAOS.

James Liddell11 December 2024 08:41

Public offering to pay Luigi Mangione’s legal bills, his attorney says

James Liddell11 December 2024 08:21

ICYMI: Google forced to intervene after McDonald’s gets ‘review bombed’ over NYC shooter’s arrest

Google has been forced to take down a deluge of derogatory reviews targeting the McDonald’s branch where New York City shooting suspect Luigi Mangione was arrested.

Mangione, 26, was apprehended at the fast food chain’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Monday after a five-day manhunt.

He has now been charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, who was shot dead outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan on December 4 by a masked assailant who was lying in wait for him.

The suspect then fled the scene, sparking a days-long manhunt before Mangione was spotted eating at a table in the McDonald’s.

Joe Sommerlad reports.

Google intervenes after McDonald’s ‘review bombed’ over NYC shooter’s arrest

Fast-food outlet hit with spoof complaints about ‘rats’ following police tip-off

Josh Marcus11 December 2024 07:59

The McDonald’s customer who spotted Luigi Mangione

A McDonald’s customer thought his friend was joking after they spotted Luigi Mangione in the Pennsylvania fast food joint.

The McDonald’s regular, identified only as Larry, was in the Altoona branch on Monday with a group of friends when the 26-year-old, suspected of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, walked through the door.

“One of my friends, and I thought he was kidding, when the shooter — I’m assuming was the shooter who they made the arrest on — came in. [My friend] made a comment – ‘That looks like the shooter from New York,’” Larry told Fox Digital.

“The group of us thought it was more of a joke, and we were kidding about it,” Larry continued. “But as it turned out, it was him.”

Rhian Lubin reports.

McDonald’s customer reveals moment he saw NYC shooting suspect in fast food joint

The McDonald’s regular, identified as Larry, was in the Altoona branch on Monday when the 26-year-old suspect walked through the door

Josh Marcus11 December 2024 07:00

Amazon inundated with merch about UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting

Amazon has been racing to remove merchandise sympathetic to the gunman accused of killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson from its online marketplace.

Police arrested a suspect in the shooting, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, on Monday in Pennsylvania.

Merchandise with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” — the words reportedly written on the bullets used in the shooting of Thompson — have been cropping up on Amazon items like hoodies, mugs, caps, pint glasses, and more, according to the Washington Post.

Some have taken the three words to be a reference to the 2010 book “Delay, Defend, Deny: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.”

Graig Graziosi has the story.

Josh Marcus11 December 2024 06:00

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