Luigi Mangione is a 26-year-old high school valedictorian out of Towson, Maryland, who attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a background in technology. This name might be familiar to you because of his recent accusation of being the assassin in the murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthCare Brian Thompson. You might be wondering how someone as smart as Mangione would throw their life away just to kill someone. Throughout this article, I will explain the evidence behind why he committed the murder and how.
Mangione was notably outspoken about social justice issues, especially the ones relating to healthcare inequality. He publicly criticized how most U.S. healthcare companies were profit-driven and did not care about the well-being of their customers. Mangione also published an online manifesto speaking out against the healthcare system, blaming it for harming society. He advocated for a system focused on accountability, rather than profit. He views the assassination of executives such as Brian Thompson as a symbolic strike against corporal greed.
The first piece of evidence used against Mangione is the surveillance footage. This captured Mangione approaching Brian Thompson in New York before the shooting. This footage provided clear identification of his movements and the crime in action. The bullet casings at the scene matched the characteristics of a 3D printed weapon. The bullets also included more evidence because of what was engraved on them. These words were “deny,” “defend,” and “depose.” These important words are another strike against the healthcare system which again links Mangione’s ideals to this murder. Eyewitnesses watched as he fled the scene immediately after committing the murder. He was later seen going into Central Park, which was the last place he was seen after committing the murder until a couple of days later, when a McDonalds employee believed that the man at his dine-in table looked like the pictures that had been released of Luigi Mangione. He was found with all of the evidence including the 3D-printed weapon used in the murder of Brian Thompson.
Mangione’s extreme motives reveal the dangerous extremes some take in opposing social injustices. The evidence compiled has clearly been enough to indict Mangione as he has been charged with first degree murder. Do Luigi Mangione’s actions reflect the general sentiment towards the United States healthcare system, or is it simply one man taking extreme measures to demonstrate his disdain?
