This handout photo released by the Altoona Police Department shows Luigi Mangione in jail after being taken into custody in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9, 2024. Altoona Police Department/Getty Images Hide caption
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Altoona Police Department/Getty Images
With the arrest of Luigi Mangione, police have arrested a key person in the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but many questions remain unanswered.
Mangione, 26, was arrested in Pennsylvania with a ghost gun that police believe was used in the killing, as well as fake identification and a three-page handwritten document indicating a motive. New York City Police Department Chief Detective Joseph Kenney said documents in Mr. Mangione's possession showed “malice toward corporate America.”
Mangione was indicted Monday night on firearms and forgery charges in Pennsylvania and is expected to face other charges in New York.
Mr. Mangione left behind a digital trail of his life and persona, but many who had spent days speculating about the possible motives and origins of the man accused of shooting Brian Thompson knew that this was not the case. You may have been surprised.
The shooting sparked a nationwide eruption of populist anger over the U.S. health care system and the role that for-profit companies, including Thompson's, play in its dysfunction. But Mr. Mangione appears to come from a wealthy and privileged background, making him less likely to fall at the financial mercy of the system than many Americans.
According to his social media accounts, he is an Ivy League-educated tech worker who focused on philosophy, health, and the masculinity of gurus, including controversial podcaster Andrew Huberman. He said he was interested in advice on self-development.
Mr. Mangione grew up in a successful Baltimore family that owned two country clubs and was widely reported to be valedictorian of Gilman School, a private boys' elementary and secondary school.
He then attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 2020 with bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science, according to his LinkedIn page. While attending the University of Pennsylvania, Mangione founded a game development club that grew to more than 50 members, according to a report in the student newspaper, the Daily Pennsylvanian.
Mangione most recently worked as a data engineer at TrueCar, according to his LinkedIn page. A company spokesperson said in an email that Mangione “will no longer be an employee of the company beyond 2023.”
A Goodreads account bearing his name has left positive reviews for the writings of Theodore Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber. The targets included the president of United Airlines.
