Luigi Mangione: The Murderer Turned People’s Unsung Hero.

On December 4th, 2024, Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthCare, was gunned down outside a hotel. Thompson was on his way to the company’s investor meeting when he was allegedly murdered by 26 year old Luigi Mangione. 

Following the murder came a five day manhunt, with police experiencing a difficult time narrowing down a suspect. Some reports have even said that police admitted to not having Mangione’s name on their list of suspects, so finding Mangione was shockingly unexpected.

Mangione was found in a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was arrested after police found a 3D printed gun - a ghost gun, as they referred to it - and a suppressor that was consistent with the weapon used in the murder. 

On top of his arrest, police believe they have found his motive. A reddit account of Mangione’s was discovered online, on which he frequently discussed his experience and discomfort with a spinal injury sustained in a surfing accident. In one of his posts, Mangione talks about having a spinal fusion to help him heal from his injury. In this post, Mangione says he decided to have this operation after “1.5 years of failed conservative treatment.” People have begun to speculate that as someone who experienced severe pain and injury, Mangione may have targeted Brian Thompson as he is the CEO of one of the biggest health insurance companies in the world.

Now, Brian Thompson. CEO of UnitedHealthCare. There have been a lot of controversies surrounding this company for a long time. Many critics claim that UnitedHealthCare massively prioritise profits over the health and recovery of their patients, as rejection rates for claims for at-home care and nursing services have increased quite drastically. UnitedHealthCare is also said to have very slow rates of authorisation for claims and care, so even if your claim is accepted, you may still have to wait a long time to receive help.

But worst of all, UnitedHealthCare is said to have an overall claim denial rate of 30-32%. In other words, roughly 1 in 3 claims get rejected. That is an astronomical number, compared to the average rates of competitors, which sit at a denial rate of 16%, half that of UnitedHealthCare. Brian Thompson, being the Chief Executive Officer, has been at the forefront of these criticisms for a long time. After all, he was calling the shots for them. As a result of their poor standards of care, people have not been very sympathetic toward his death. Rather, a lot of people are actually happy, which doesn’t occur often. When you look at the facts, however, it’s easy to understand why.

Luigi Mangione’s actions on the 4th of December were not just a personal vendetta, but an act of rebellion against a broken and damaging system. While his actions were morally incorrect, many people are standing in support of Mangione’s decision to kill Brian Thompson, and are more than likely going to be paying great detail to the case. Luigi has seemingly made himself into an unsung hero amongst the American public. But following this action, will the system change?