Luigi Mangione: What We Know So Far

Merged CCTV images taken from subway surveillance of the suspect in CEO Brian Thompson's murder. Public domain.

Luigi Mangione, the man charged with the Dec. 4 murder of UnitedHealthcare^® CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, went from unknown to flooding everyone's social media overnight. Right now, the world knows Mangione as the suspect in Thompson's murder, but what other details have emerged about him?

A High-Achieving Student

Luigi Mangione graduated from Gilman School, an all-boys private school in Baltimore, in 2016. According to his LinkedIn profile, he graduated at the top of his class. He was also the captain of the school's robotics team, showing his leadership skills and interest in technology. In 2014, he was awarded a scholarship prize for his achievements. Additionally, Mangione volunteered at Lorien Health Systems in 2014, gaining experience in the health care field while helping others in his community. Mangione went on to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Master of Science in engineering with a focus on computer and information science, as well as a Bachelor of Science in engineering with a major in computer science and a minor in mathematics. While at Penn, Mangione worked as a teaching assistant and started a video game development club, according to his LinkedIn profile.

From a Prominent Family

Mangione grew up in Maryland where his father's parents, Nicholas and Mary Mangione, were real estate developers. In 1978, they bought the Turf Valley Country Club, and in 1986, they purchased the Hayfields Country Club in Hunt Valley. They also started Lorien Health Systems in 1977 and ran WCBM, a radio station in Baltimore. Mangione is also related to Nino Mangione, a Maryland state delegate who represents parts of Baltimore County.

Active Goodreads Reviewer

n the book review site Goodreads, Mangione frequently rated and reviewed books. One of his reviews included a four-star rating for "Industrial Society and Its Future," written by Theodore John Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber. In 2022, Mangione added two health-related books to his reading list: "Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery" and "Back Mechanic." Mangione apparently suffered from back pain. Sarah Nehemiah, who knew Mangione while he was at Surfbreak, a co-living community in Honolulu, said he left the community in April 2022 because of a long-term back injury that got worse from physical activity on the island. According to posts on his Reddit account, Mangione's back pain had been ongoing for several years, and it got worse after he surfed in Hawaii in 2022. Nehemiah mentioned that she and other members of the Surfbreak community "lost contact" with Mangione after he left, as reported by CBS News.

Missing in Action

In the months leading up to his arrest, Mangione had stopped communicating with many of his friends and family, leaving them worried about his well-being. His disappearance raised concerns, and in November, his mother took action by filing a missing person report with the San Francisco Police Department. She reached out for assistance in locating her son, hoping for answers. She had last spoken with him in July. Meanwhile, posts tagging Mangione's account on the social media platform X show that his friends were trying to reach out to him. His last post on the site was in June. One post from October said, "Nobody has heard from you in months," as reported by CBS News. Another post from July read, "I don't know if you are okay or just in a super isolated place and have no service. But I haven't heard from you in months." In early 2024, Mangione traveled to Asia for several months, according to social media posts and people who spoke with him during that time. He shared on Reddit in April that he had visited "various countries" over the past two months, as reported by CBS News. Gurwinder Bhogal, who communicated with Mangione through email and a video call during that period, believes Mangione was in Japan until at least early May.

Possible Motive

Along with weapons, police discovered a three-page document in Mangione's possession, which NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said "speaks to both his motivation and mindset," as reported by ABC News. Sources told ABC News that UnitedHealthcare was mentioned in a document found with Mangione. The document reportedly included phrases like "These parasites had it coming" and "I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done." Mangione seemed to view the killing as a symbolic attack against the company's corruption, calling himself the "first to face" UnitedHealthcare with "brutal honesty." Among the writings in a spiral notebook, Mangione allegedly outlined plans to kill the UnitedHealthcare CEO and showed growing hatred toward the company. Law enforcement sources say he had been fixated on harming the CEO for months, with some entries dating back to mid-2024. Early writings were about his health and finding his purpose, but later, his thoughts seemed to deteriorate as he became more isolated. One passage allegedly said, "What do you do? You whack the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention." The notebook also referenced the Unabomber but rejected using explosives to avoid harming innocents. Detectives are still reviewing the writings, which they consider a possible confession.

Fingerprint Match

On Dec. 11, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that fingerprints found on a water bottle and protein bar near where Thompson was killed matched those taken from Mangione when he was booked into jail. Police also told CBS News that fingerprints found on a phone at the scene were a match to Mangione's. Investigators also linked a "ghost gun" found with Mangione in Pennsylvania to three 9mm shell casings from the shooting in New York, according to the NYPD. The fingerprint match, first reported by CNN, was the first piece of public forensic evidence connecting Mangione to the crime scene.

No UnitedHealthCare Connection

The New York Police Department informed CBS News that there is no evidence suggesting Mangione was a customer of UnitedHealthcare. Authorities believe that Mangione may have targeted the company because it is the largest health insurance provider in the United States. Officials think his frustration with the health care system and the company's role in it might have motivated him to attack UnitedHealthcare.

Luigi Mangione's case has drawn mixed reactions from many. His actions have raised questions about the factors that led him to commit such a crime. As the investigation continues, more details are emerging about his mindset and motivations.

References: What We Know About Luigi Mangione, Suspect Charged in UnitedHealthCare CEO's Killing | What We Know About Luigi Mangione, Ivy League Grad Charged in CEO's Murder