Luigi Mangione latest: Shooting suspect’s motive in doubt as cops reveal key detail about healthcare history
Investigations into the motive behind the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s shooting death continue, as Mangione fights extradition to New York where he faces a murder charge
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Doubts have been cast over Luigi Mangione’s potential motives in connection to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The NYPD’s Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny revealed that there is “no indication” that the shooting suspect, who is believed to have undergone back surgery last year, was ever a client of UnitedHealthcare.
The findings don’t appear to indicate that Mangione had a grudge against Thompson, who was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, but targeted the company for its size and because he had prior knowledge of a conference taking place, Kenny told NBC New York.
“We have no indication that he ever was a client of UnitedHealthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America,” he said.
It comes as New York prosecutors began presenting evidence to a grand jury as they work toward what Governor Kathy Hochul predicts will be an “ironclad” indictment against the suspect, ABC News reported.
A grand jury indictment could bolster the case for extradition from Pennsylvania to New York, where he faces a second-degree murder charge.
Who is Luigi Mangione: What to know about man charged with murder in UnitedHealthcare CEO’s shooting death
Who is Thomas Dickey? The Pennsylvania trial lawyer representing CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione
The very online ‘gray tribe’ philosophy of alleged UnitedHealthcare killer Luigi Mangione
The alleged UnitedHealthcare shooter suffered from chronic pain. It’s a problem plaguing more than a third of Americans
Timeline of the manhunt
December 4: The suspect set off from an Upper West Side hostel before dawn. He was seen on surveillance video walking back and forth at 54th Street and Sixth Avenue, near the Hilton Hotel where the UnitedHealthcare Group was holding its conference. After opening fire, the suspect fled by bike through Central Park before getting into a cab and was later spotted at a bus station. A manhunt ensued.
December 5: Investigators revealed a cryptic message carved onto the shell casings: “delay,” “deny” and “depose.” NYPD also released images of the suspect.
December 6: Police announce they believe the suspect has left New York City, expanding the desperate search. A backpack, thought to belong to the suspect, was found in Central Park and sent in for forensic testing. The now-viral “flirtatious” photo of the suspect speaking to a hostel worker was released.
December 7: NYPD releases another photo of the suspect, this time in the back of a taxi. The FBI also joined the hunt for the suspect, offering a $50,000 reward for information.
December 8: Although no leads on the suspect’s whereabouts were made public, investigators revealed the contents of the backpack included Monopoly money and a Tommy Hilfiger jacket.
December 9: A private service for Brian Thompson was held. Also that day, a McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania tipped recognized Mangione from the photos circulated by police. He was arrested in Pennsylvania on gun charges and hours later faced a murder charge in New York.
‘He had a lot of things going for him,’ Mangione’s high school classmate says
A high school classmate of the suspect under arrest for fatally gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week said the news “came out of nowhere,” and described the situation as “just, really surreal.”
“He had a lot of things going for him,” Ellison Jordan, who graduated from the Gilman School alongside 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, told The Independent. “He was always cool people.”
Jordan attended Gilman, a prestigious all-boys prep school in Baltimore, with Mangione, and found him to be “a smart dude,” and “a regular guy,” he said on Tuesday.
“I’m being sensitive to Luigi, because I went to school with him,” Jordan, who has not spoken to the media previously about Mangione, went on. “I hope he didn’t do it. I’m praying he didn’t do it. It’s still ‘allegedly.’ It’s really shocking.”
At the same time, Jordan emphasized that he was keeping Thompson in his thoughts, saying he was fully aware the exec could “never go back to his family.”
Justin Rohrlich has the full story.
Luigi Mangione’s classmate speaks out about CEO murder suspect after ‘surreal’ arrest
Exclusive: “I hope he didn’t do it. I’m praying he didn’t do it. It’s still ‘allegedly,’” Gilman School graduate Ellison Jordan told The Independent.
Joe Rogan discusses public reaction to Brian Thompson’s murder
Joe Rogan chalked up the country’s mixed reactions to the fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO to the “dirty business” of health insurance.
Rogan and his guests, filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary, discussed the December 4 death of Brian Thompson on a Midtown Manhattan street on Tuesday’s episode of the mega-popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
The podcaster and his guests predicted there wouldn’t be much sympathy for the 50-year-old insurance executive due to the state of health insurance in the U.S.
“I don’t think anybody is going to be crying too hard over” Thompson’s death, Avary said.
“Maybe his family, but that’s about it,” Rogan replied. “It’s a dirty, dirty business. The business of insurance is f***ing gross. It’s gross, especially healthcare insurance.”
Read the full story.
Joe Rogan discusses reaction to Brian Thompson’s murder: ‘It’s a dirty business’
‘I don’t think anybody is going to be crying too hard over’ Thompson’s death, Roger Avary said on Rogan’s Tuesday show
WATCH: McDonald’s customer speaks out about moment he spotted Luigi Mangione in fast food joint
ICYMI: Penn professor retracts statements appearing to praise Luigi Mangione
A professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the Ivy League institution UnitedHealthcare shooting suspect Luigi Mangione attended, is retracting her social media posts that appeared to praise him.
Julia Alekseyeva, an Assistant Professor of English and Cinema and Media Studies, posted a TikTok video on Monday night swaying her left index finger back and forth to the tune of “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from the musical Les Misérables.
She wrote: “Have never been prouder to be a professor at the University of Pennsylvania.” The post appeared to refer to Mangione’s prior attendance at the university, where he obtained undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. He also worked as a teaching assistant at the university after graduation.
Alekseyeva separately called Mangione, 26, “the icon we all need and deserve” in an Instagram story and reposted a joke article with the headline “Man engages in beautiful Italian tradition of taking matters into his own hands.”
Michelle Del Rey has the full story.
Penn professor retracts statements appearing to praise Luigi Mangione
Professor Julia Alekseyeva wrote in a TikTok video she had ‘never been prouder to be a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’, which Luigi Mangione attended
‘Wanted’ posters for health insurance executives have cropped across NYC
The New York Police Department issued a bulletin on Tuesday warning that health insurance executives might be at risk after “wanted” posters featuring their images and salaries appeared around Manhattan.
The bulletin comes in the wake of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week.
The NYPD suggested that Luigi Mangione, the 24-year-old man arrested on suspicion of shooting Thompson, may be viewed as a “martyr” by some, and could inspire other attacks.
The bulletin notes that the shooter’s actions could have the “capability to inspire a variety of extremists and grievance-driven malicious actors to violence,” which was first reported by ABC News.
“Both prior to and after the suspected perpetrator’s identification and arrest, some online users across social media platforms reacted positively to the killing, encouraged future targeting of similar executives, and shared conspiracy theories regarding the shooting,” the bulletin added.
Graig Graziosi has the full story.
NYPD issues warning over healthcare CEO ‘wanted’ posters in Manhattan
Officials fear Luigi Mangione, the suspected gunman in the attack on Thompson, might be viewed as a ‘martyr’ and could inspire other attacks
More than $50k raised by public fundraiser to pay for Mangione’s legal bills
A legal committee has raised more than $52,000 as of Thursday afternoon to pay for Luigi Mangione’s legal bills as he faces charges in both Pennsylvania and New York.
The December 4th Legal Committee launched the public appeal on GiveSendGo.
“Setting aside legitimate conversations about violence, there’s no denying that the suspected gunman, known popularly as The Claims Adjustor, has tapped into popular outrage over the quality and cost of privatized American healthcare,” said Carol Sherman, an organizer with the D4 Legal Committee, said in a statement. “We are dedicated to ensuring that he gets a fair trial with competent legal counsel.”
The fundraiser is aiming to raise $200,000. The proceeds “will be sent directly to Luigi or, if he chooses to reject the funds, they will instead be donated to legal funds for other U.S political prisoners,” the fundraising page states.
Who is the lawyer representing Mangione?
Luigi Mangione’s lawyer is a seasoned trial attorney based in Pennsylvania with more than 40 years of experience.
Thomas Dickey was brought onto the case on Tuesday, one day after his client was arrested in a McDonald’s in the town of Altoona. The 26-year-old now faces a second-degree murder charge in connection to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by New York prosecutors who are seeking his extradition to the state.
Dickey said he expects his client will plead not guilty.
The lawyer, who claims to be “one of the few death-penalty qualified attorneys” in Pennsylvania, said on Tuesday night that it was “concerning” his client had been denied bail at an extradition hearing at Blair County courthouse earlier in the day.
Mangione was hauled into court by police after making an angry outburst outside, which Dickey said he “didn’t hear” as he was already inside the building.
Rhian Lubin has the full story.
What to know about Luigi Mangione’s lawyer Thomas Dickey
Thomas Dickey was brought onto the case the day after Luigi Mangione was arrested in a McDonald’s and charged with the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson
What is a ghost gun?
A ghost gun is a homemade firearm that bears no serial number, meaning it cannot be traced back to its original buyer if it is used in a crime.
It has always been possible to build such guns, but 3D printing has made it easier than ever before, and blueprints to do so are widely circulated on the internet.
When arrested, police said they believed Mangione was carrying a ghost gun made on a 3D printer.
Here’s more on ghost guns.
What is a ghost gun? Police link untraceable firearm to suspect Luigi Mangione
Long before the death of CEO Brian Thompson, the home-made weapons were spreading across the US
NYPD are getting closer to uncovering the suspect’s motive, according to a report
Police are getting closer to understanding the motive of the UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect, CBS News reported Thursday.
Investigators are looking into Mangione’s chronic back pain, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
“We’re learning that he did possibly suffer an accident that caused him to visit the emergency room back on July 4, 2023,” he told the outlet.
Mangione’s friends have told multiple outlets about his debilitating pain and the 2023 surgery he underwent.
Police are also analyzing the three-page handwritten manifesto and notebook — both detailing Mangione’s disgust with the health care industry — that were seized when the suspect was arrested.
“When you start using rhetoric like ‘These parasites had it coming,’ you are referencing an anti-corporatist mentality that goes beyond an individual grievance toward a particular injury he may have suffered,” NYPD’s deputy Commissioner, Intelligence & Counterterrorism Rebecca Weiner told the outlet.