Luigi Mangione Allegedly Shot UHC CEO in Manhattan

Luigi Mangione, a 27-year-old University of Pennsylvania graduate, allegedly shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan in December 2024 and has pleaded not guilty to federal and state charges. Federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. In early 2024 Mangione backpacked across Asia, where he befriended American traveler Christian Sacchini and at one point messaged friends that he had been beaten by seven “ladyboys” in Bangkok, sharing a photo of a bruised arm. Travelers and texts reviewed by reporters say conversations that began with video games and Pokémon shifted into long rants about the U.S. healthcare system, and Mangione was reportedly shocked by the low cost of an MRI in Thailand. Fellow travelers and guesthouse owners say he later isolated himself in Japan and an August diary entry quoted by reporters said he felt “confident” and justified about plans targeting the insurance industry. After returning to the U.S. in July 2024 he became more withdrawn, was arrested in November, indicted in December, and is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center.