Ivy League Graduate and Software Engineer Arrested in Health CEO’s Murder; May Have Supported Unabomber’s Manifesto
The suspect arrested in connection with the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is a former Ivy League graduate and software engineer who appears to have previously supported the Unabomber’s manifesto online.
Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old from a prominent Baltimore family, was named as the prime suspect in the high-profile killing and subsequent disappearance of Thompson in Midtown Manhattan. Before his name surfaced in the investigation, Mangione had raised concerns among friends and family due to his sudden online silence.
Mangione, who had been active on social media, posting everything from travel photos to updates about his weightlifting routine, suddenly stopped posting earlier this year. Friends began expressing worry about his well-being, with some noting that even his family had been searching for him.
“He’s been gone for months. Nobody’s heard from him. Hope you’re okay,” one message read on X (formerly Twitter).
As investigators delve into Mangione’s potential motives, questions abound about how someone with such a promising future could be linked to such a violent crime.
“I can’t make sense of it at all,” said R.J. Martin, a former co-living roommate of Mangione in Hawaii, who remembered him as friendly and thoughtful. “It’s unimaginable.”
A Privileged Background
Mangione, who was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday, faces charges including murder, weapons possession, and possession of a forged document. According to the police, he was found carrying a black 3D-printed pistol, a silencer, and a handwritten note that read, “These parasites had it coming,” expressing anger toward corporate America.
Raised in a wealthy Baltimore family, Mangione’s grandfather, Nicholas Mangione, built a real estate empire. Mangione himself grew up in an affluent environment, where he volunteered at the family’s nursing home business, Lorien Health Systems, during high school.
A graduate of the prestigious Gilman School, Mangione was the 2016 valedictorian. He later attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in computer science. During his time there, he was involved in a video game development club and worked as a software engineer for the online car sales platform TrueCar after graduation.
Despite his promising career, Mangione’s most recent known location was in Hawaii, where he had been living and working remotely for several months.
Personal Struggles and Radical Views
In recent years, Mangione had been grappling with severe back pain, which led to surgery and multiple health challenges. According to friends, he moved to Hawaii to focus on his well-being, where he spent time hiking, doing yoga, and attending a co-working space. However, those who knew him didn’t recall him expressing any violent or radical views at the time.
It wasn’t until later that Mangione’s online presence shed light on his darker, more troubling side. On the book review website Goodreads, Mangione posted a favorable review of Ted Kaczynski’s manifesto, the writings of the infamous Unabomber, who advocated for violent resistance to modern technology. Mangione’s review acknowledged Kaczynski’s violent actions but also seemed to express agreement with some of his ideological positions.
“Many of his predictions about society have turned out to be prescient,” Mangione wrote in his January review, referring to Kaczynski as “an extreme political revolutionary” despite his violent methods.
Mangione’s social media profiles also featured posts about science, technology, and political figures, including Joe Rogan, Edward Snowden, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. However, after the summer of 2023, his posts ceased, and friends began reaching out to express concern.
A Troubling Silence
Mangione’s silence raised alarm bells among his friends, especially as the shooting of Brian Thompson took place just months after his last known activity online. Messages from his contacts suggested that they were trying to get in touch, with some expressing worry about his well-being in the weeks leading up to the crime.
In a post from November, one user wrote, “Thinking of you and praying every day. Know that you are missed and loved.”
Now, as authorities investigate his connections to the murder, the question remains: how did someone with such a promising future become entangled in such a shocking act of violence?
Mangione’s family, who are deeply shocked by the allegations, expressed their grief over the arrest. In a statement, they offered condolences to the Thompson family, saying, “We are devastated by Luigi’s actions and ask for prayers for all involved.”