Who is Luigi Mangione, charged with murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO
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Luigi Mangione. Photo: LinkedIn
Luigi Mangione, 26, was charged with murder on Monday in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City.
The big picture: He appeared in a Pennsylvania court for a preliminary arraignment on firearms and forgery charges earlier on Monday before New York prosecutors charged him with murder and weapons possession crimes later that night.
- Thompson's shooting last week sparked a massive manhunt but no arrests had been made in connection to the case before Monday.
Driving the news: Mangione was detained at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
- The Altoona Police Department confirmed in a press release that Mangione was arrested on charges unrelated to Thompson's shooting.
- Mangione's last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was born and raised in Maryland and has ties to San Francisco.
Mangione's education and background
Mangione attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in May 2020 with both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree, a Penn spokesperson told Axios.
- He received a bachelor of science in engineering with a major in computer science and a minor in mathematics.
- He also received a master of science in engineering in computer and information science.
- While at Penn, he was an undergraduate member of the university's chapter of Phi Kappa Psi from 2017 to 2020, the fraternity confirmed to Axios.
Mangione graduated in 2016 as valedictorian of the Gilman School, a prep school in Maryland, multiple media outlets reported.
- A LinkedIn account attributed to Mangione says he served as head counselor at a Stanford University pre-collegiate studies program in 2019. A Stanford spokesperson confirmed to Axios that "a person by the name of Luigi Mangione" had worked as head counselor for the program.
- The LinkedIn account says that Mangione started work as a data engineer after graduating Penn.
- A spokesperson for TrueCar, another company listed on Mangione's LinkedIn account, said he has not been an employee of the vehicle sales business since 2023.
Mangione was from a wealthy Baltimore family, built on his grandfather's real estate success, according to local reports.
- Nino Mangione, a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates, shared a statement from his family, which said it could not comment on media reports but was "shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest."
Social media accounts that appear to belong to Mangione offered a glimpse into his life and interests.
- An X user who appears to be Mangione shared content about the mental health impact of social media consumption and thoughts from writers and well-known tech figures, like Peter Thiel.
- He reposted content from author and illustrator Tim Urban and Andrew Huberman, a Stanford neuroscientist who hosts a popular health podcast. Urban has distanced himself from Mangione online.
- The X account amassed thousands of new followers in the hours since he was named a person of interest.
How the manhunt unfolded
Context: Thompson was shot and killed outside of a midtown Manhattan Hilton about 6:40am ET on Wednesday by a masked man.
- Thompson had received threats, his wife said, possibly related to health care coverage.
Zoom in: A McDonald's employee who recognized Mangione called local police, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on Monday. Tisch said his behavior was suspicious during questioning.
- Mangione was carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, a U.S. passport, a gun and a suppressor consistent with those used in the attack.
- A fraudulent New Jersey ID was consistent with one used to check into a New York City hostel ahead of the shooting.
What they're saying: "Officers recovered a handwritten document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset," Tisch said. The document was three pages long.
- NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said: "It does seem that he had some ill will toward corporate America."
Go deeper:
- Person questioned in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting, had "manifesto": reports
- Health care uproar sparks new legislation in Congress
- Corporate America gets more reclusive following CEO's killing
Editor's note: This story has been updated with details throughout.
