The suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s slaying was reported lacking by his household final month after dropping contact with them following a latest again surgical procedure, in accordance with sources and studies.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was captured in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday after he was noticed consuming at a McDonald’s by an worker of the quick meals restaurant who believed he resembled the gunman needed over final week’s brazen taking pictures exterior a Manhattan lodge.
Mangione — an Ivy League graduate from a outstanding Maryland actual property household — was discovered carrying a ghost gun, masks and rambling writings linking him to the ambush, authorities mentioned.
As investigators proceed to piece collectively a attainable motive for the cold-blooded killing, it has since emerged that Mangione had misplaced contact with family members within the weeks main as much as the taking pictures.
Mangione’s mom reported him lacking Nov. 18 — presumably from a house in San Francisco, legislation enforcement sources instructed The Submit.
The suspect, who was born and raised in Maryland, has identified ties to San Francisco and a final identified handle in Honolulu, in accordance with cops.
In the meantime, one in every of his former classmates on the Gilman Faculty in Baltimore instructed the New York Instances that Mangione’s friends had been forwarded a message earlier this yr as a result of the suspect’s household was looking for him.
The classmate, Aaron Cranston, mentioned the message indicated Mangione hadn’t been in contact with kinfolk since present process again surgical procedure a number of months prior, the outlet reported.
In the meantime, R.J. Martin – a pal and former roommate in Hawaii — instructed CNN that Mangione had beforehand spoken of his again points.
“When I first interviewed him, before he moved in, I remember he said he had a back issue, and he was hoping to get stronger in Hawaii,” Martin mentioned.
The roommate mentioned Mangione’s again points had been so “traumatic and difficult” that one primary browsing lesson left him bed-ridden for per week.
When he underwent surgical procedure, Martin mentioned his pal despatched him pictures of the X-rays.
“It looked heinous, with just giant screws going into his spine,” he mentioned.
It comes as sources mentioned Mangione could have held a grudge towards the UnitedHealthcare govt due to his interactions with the medical business — pointing to an X-ray picture on his X account exhibiting 4 pins in a backbone.
Mangione additionally had 5 books involving persistent again ache on his studying record on his GoodReads account.
They included titles corresponding to “Crooked: Outwitting the Again Ache Business and Getting on the Highway to Restoration,’’ and “Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic on the Root of Most Power Illness―and The right way to Combat It.’’
They had been added to his digital bookshelf between Might 2022 and February 2023.
The developments got here as Mangione was arraigned and ordered held with out bail throughout a quick courtroom listening to Monday night time.
What we all know concerning the taking pictures of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
- Brian Thompson, the CEO of insurance coverage big UnitedHealthcare, was gunned down Wednesday exterior a luxurious Midtown lodge in a “brazen, targeted attack,” police mentioned.
- Thompson was named CEO of UnitedHealth in April 2021. He joined the corporate in 2004. He was one in every of a number of senior executives on the firm below investigation by the Division of Justice.
- Thompson’s spouse, Paulette, mentioned her husband had been getting threats earlier than he was killed.
- Thompson’s taking pictures led to sick help on-line, and even spurred a tasteless lookalike competitors in NYC
- An individual of curiosity has been nabbed by cops inside a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa.
- The suspect has been recognized as Luigi Mangione, 26, initially from Towson, Md. He’s a former Ivy League pupil who hated the medical neighborhood.
Observe together with The Submit’s reside updates on the information surrounding Brian Thompson’s homicide.
He was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and offering false identification to police.
Authorities mentioned they anticipated homicide expenses to be filed in New York within the coming days.
Thompson, 50, was killed final Wednesday as he walked alone to a Midtown lodge, the place UnitedHealthcare’s mum or dad firm, UnitedHealth Group, was holding its annual investor convention, cops mentioned.
