University of Pennsylvania graduate, Luigi Mangione, shocked America on December 4, 2024 when he shot and killed United Healthcare Ceo, Brian Thompson. Mangione went to great lengths to achieve his goal in killing Brian Thompson, beginning his journey by boarding a Greyhound bus to New York, on November 24th. Using a fake New Jersey license, Luigi checked into a hostel on November 30th. Six days later, footage shows the assailant leaving his hostel at around five in the morning and arriving at the New York Hilton Midtown Hotel at 6:15am. At 6:45 am, Mangione fired shots towards the back of Brian Thompson, hitting his leg and back, causing him to fall to the ground. Luigi then rode a bicycle away from the crime scene to begin his journey home (Cudahy 2024). After five days, a McDonald’s worker in Altoona, Pennsylvania, reported Mangione to the police.
After arresting and questioning the assailant, Federal Bureau of Investigation assistant director of the New York Field Office, James E. Dennehy, stated: “Luigi Mangione allegedly conducted the carefully premeditated and targeted execution of Brian Thompson to incite national debates.” However, Luigi’s past also interested investigators, as Mangione had previously undergone spinal surgery. Mangione claimed that doctors suggested that he live with the pain rather than undergo surgery, causing him to repeatedly inform others of the flaws in the American medical system. Furthermore, Mangione stated that his back pain resulted in mental health struggles, leading to his actions (Skene & Kelleher 2024).
Mangione is currently being charged with 20 counts between courts in Pennsylvania, New York, and federal court in Manhattan. Counts include counts of murder, terrorism, stalking, and use of a firearm. He has pleaded not guilty, and is currently awaiting trial from federal jail in Brooklyn (Sisak 2024).
Luigi Mangione has received countless amounts of publicity for his appearance after his mugshot and instagram surfaced. Many Americans defend him solely because of his looks. In Huntingdon State Correctional Institute in Pennsylvania, Mangione received 87 letters, 163 deposits into his commissary account, allowing him to buy different things within the prison, and 54 emails. Each form of correspondence sympathized with his situation (“Luigi Mangione’s Fan Mail” 2024). Not only this, but the McDonald’s in which an employee reported Mangione received countless 1-star reviews after the incident. People wrote awful things, claiming “snitching” was not acceptable or that he should be ashamed for his actions (Alund 2024).
This murder created a controversy across the United States, inspiring questioning of whether or not people should sympathize with an alleged murderer. While awaiting the results of his trial, society will continue to struggle with the concept that a cum-laude Ivy-league graduate, objectively attractive, and well off man is just as capable of committing heinous acts as any other member of society.
