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Brian Robert Thompson (July 10, 1974 – December 4, 2024), the
CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...
of the American health insurance company UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed in
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, on December 4, 2024. The shooting occurred early in the morning outside an entrance to the
New York Hilton Midtown The New York Hilton Midtown is the New York City hotels, largest hotel in New York City. The hotel is owned by Park Hotels & Resorts and managed by Hilton Worldwide. It has approximately 2,000 rooms and over of meeting space. The 47-floor bu ...
. The suspect, initially described as a white man wearing a mask, fled the scene. The words "delay," "deny," and "depose" were inscribed on the cartridge cases used during the shooting. Thompson had previously faced criticism for the company's rejection of insurance claims, and his family reported that he had received
death threat A death threat is a threat, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or group of people. These threats are often designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behaviour, in which case a d ...
s. On December9, 2024, authorities arrested 26-year-old Luigi Mangione in
Altoona, Pennsylvania Altoona ( ) is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 43,963 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Altoona Metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan area, w ...
, and charged him in a Manhattan court with Thompson's killing. Authorities say that when Mangione was apprehended, he was carrying a 3D-printed pistol and a
3D-printed 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is the Manufacturing, construction of a three-dimensional object from a computer-aided design, CAD model or a digital 3D modeling, 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material i ...
suppressor A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a gun barrel#Muzzle, muzzle device that suppresses the muzzle blast, blast created when a gun (firearm or airgun) is discharged, thereby reducing the sound inten ...
consistent with those used in the attack; a short handwritten letter criticizing the American healthcare system; an American passport; and multiple fraudulent IDs, including one with the same name used to check into a
hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory sleeping 4–20 people, with shared use of a lounge and usually a kitchen. Rooms can be private or shared - mixe ...
on the
Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper We ...
of Manhattan. Authorities also said his fingerprints matched the partial smudged prints that investigators found near the New York shooting scene. Authorities believe Mangione was motivated by "what he perceives as a 'parasitic' health insurance company and industry as a whole, as well as broader objections to corporate greed and a concern for modern society". Mangione was arraigned in Altoona on December 9, 2024. After waiving
extradition In an extradition, one Jurisdiction (area), jurisdiction delivers a person Suspect, accused or Conviction, convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, into the custody of the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforc ...
in Pennsylvania, he appeared in a federal court in New York City on December 19. On December 23, he was arraigned in the
New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the superior court in the Judiciary of New York. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although in many counties outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil ju ...
and pled not guilty to New York state charges. Mangione has been indicted on eleven state charges and four federal charges; the charges include
first-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse ...
, murder in furtherance of
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
,
criminal possession of a weapon Criminal possession of a weapon is the unlawful possession of a weapon by an individual. It may also be an additional crime if a violent offense was committed with a deadly weapon or firearm. Such crimes are public order crimes and are consider ...
, and
stalking Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance or contact by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitorin ...
.
United States Attorney General The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the Federal government of the United States, federal government. The attorney general acts as the princi ...
Pam Bondi Pamela Jo Bondi ( ; born November 17, 1965) is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician who has served as the 87th United States attorney general since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, she served as the 37th attorney general of Fl ...
directed the federal prosecutors to seek the
death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...
in Mangione's federal case. Thompson's death received widespread attention in the United States and led to polarized reactions. Several public officials expressed dismay and offered condolences to Thompson's family, while many used the event to call attention to the practices of the US health insurance industry. Opinion polls have shown that American adult respondents are more likely than not to find the killing unacceptable, with younger and more
left-leaning Centre-left politics is the range of left-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. Ideologies commonly associated with it include social democracy, social liberalism, progressivism, and green politics. Ideas commonl ...
respondents more likely to view the killing as acceptable or to sympathize with the killer. On social media, reactions to the killing included widespread contempt and mockery toward Thompson and UnitedHealth Group, sympathy and praise for Mangione, and broader criticism of the American healthcare system and health insurance industryprimarily regarding claim denial practices. Inquiries about protective services and security for CEOs and
corporate executives A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as "born out of sta ...
surged following the killing.


Background


Thompson and UnitedHealthcare

Brian Thompson was the
chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...
(CEO) of UnitedHealthcare, the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, from April 2021 until his death. He had worked for UnitedHealthcare since 2004. UnitedHealthcare insures 49 million Americans and generated $281 billion in revenue for the 2023 fiscal year. Under his leadership, UHC's profits increased from $12 billion in 2021 to $16 billion in 2023, and his total annual compensation was $10.2 million. At the time of Thompson's death, the company was the largest health insurer in the United States. UnitedHealthcare has repeatedly faced criticism for its approach to handling claims. It and other insurers were named in an October 2024 report from the
United States Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), stood up in March 1941 as the "Truman Committee," is the oldest subcommittee of the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (formerly the Committee on Govern ...
showing a surge in
prior authorization Prior authorization, or preauthorization, is a utilization management process used by some health insurance companies in the United States to determine if they will cover a prescribed procedure, service, or medication. Overview Prior authorisa ...
denials for Medicare Advantage patients. Reports of increasing rates of
prior authorization Prior authorization, or preauthorization, is a utilization management process used by some health insurance companies in the United States to determine if they will cover a prescribed procedure, service, or medication. Overview Prior authorisa ...
denials prompted investigations by
ProPublica ProPublica (), legally Pro Publica, Inc., is a nonprofit investigative journalism organization based in New York City. ProPublica's investigations are conducted by its staff of full-time reporters, and the resulting stories are distributed to ne ...
and the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
, investigations which were described as a "stain" on Thompson's time of leadership by ''Fortune''. According to Thompson's widow, he had been receiving threats related to a "lack of nsurancecoverage". In May 2024, a lawsuit was filed against Thompson along with Stephen Hemsley and two other senior executives for alleged fraud and
insider trading Insider trading is the trading of a public company's stock or other securities (such as bonds or stock options) based on material, nonpublic information about the company. In various countries, some kinds of trading based on insider informati ...
due to failing to disclose an antitrust investigation into the company by the
United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a United States federal executive departments, federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of Law of the Unite ...
and by selling stock options before the probe was made public.


Suspected assailant's preparations

The suspect arrived in New York City on November24, 2024, on a
Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...
bus. The bus route began in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, Georgia, but authorities do not know from which city or town he boarded. The day of his arrival, he checked into the HI New York City Hostel on the
Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper We ...
of Manhattan with a falsified
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
identification card; he paid for his stay in cash. He stayed at the hostel for all but one night of the 10 days he was in New York City, checking out on December3.


Killing

Thompson was in New York City for an annual UnitedHealth Group investors' meeting, having arrived from
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
on December 2, 2024. On December 4, at around 6:45 a.m. EST ( UTC−5), Thompson was walking along West 54th Street toward the
New York Hilton Midtown The New York Hilton Midtown is the New York City hotels, largest hotel in New York City. The hotel is owned by Park Hotels & Resorts and managed by Hilton Worldwide. It has approximately 2,000 rooms and over of meeting space. The 47-floor bu ...
hotel that was hosting the meeting. The assailant waited across the street from the hotel for several minutes, then crossed over when he saw Thompson. Standing approximately away from Thompson when he arrived at the entrance, the assailant fired three times at him from a suppressed 9 mm pistol, striking him in the back and right calf. Three spent bullet casings were found at the scene, along with three ejected live rounds. In the
closed-circuit television camera A closed-circuit television camera is a type of surveillance camera that transmits video signals to a specific set of monitors or video recording devices, rather than broadcasting the video over public airwaves. The term " closed-circuit televis ...
(CCTV) recording of the killing, the shooter manually cycles the gun action after each shot, leading observers to believe that his weapon was a malfunctioning
semi-automatic pistol A semi-automatic pistol (also called a self-loading pistol, autopistol, or autoloading pistol) is a repeating firearm, repeating handgun that automatically ejects and loads cartridge (firearms), cartridges in its chamber (firearms), chamber afte ...
. The authorities believe it to be the weapon they found in the suspect's bag after his arresta partially 3D-printed
Glock 19 Glock (; stylized as GLOCK) is a brand of polymer-Receiver (firearms), framed, Recoil operation#Short recoil operation, short-recoil-operated, striker-fired, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer G ...
and 3D-printed suppressor. The ghost gun consists of a 3D-printed
lower receiver In firearms terminology and law, the firearm frame or receiver is the part of a firearm which integrates other components by providing housing for internal action components such as the hammer, bolt or breechblock, firing pin and extractor, a ...
, metal
slide Slide or Slides may refer to: Places * Slide, California, former name of Fortuna, California Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Slide'' (Lisa Germano album), 1998 * ''Slide'' (George Clanton album), 2018 *''Slide'', by Patrick Glee ...
, unserialized Glock 19 internals from a parts kit, including a threaded barrel, and uses a standard Glock
magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
. The 3D-printed part's design was an iteration of "FMDA 19.2", a design released in 2021 by the
libertarian Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...
group Deterrence Dispensed. The killer fled the scene on an
e-bike An electric bicycle, e-bike, electrically assisted pedal cycle, or electrically power assisted cycle is a bicycle with an integrated electric motor used to assist propulsion. Many kinds of e-bikes are available worldwide, but they generally fa ...
to
Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
; there, near the
Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (International English), or galloper (British English) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The seats are tradit ...
, he shed a backpack containing ''
Monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek and ) is a market in which one person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. A monopoly is characterized by a lack of economic Competition (economics), competition to produce ...
'' money and a jacket before exiting the west end of the park at 77th Street. According to the police, he then left the city from the
George Washington Bridge The George Washington Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting Fort Lee in Bergen County, New Jersey, with the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is named after George W ...
Bus Station A bus station, bus depot, or bus interchange is a structure where city buses or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. A bus station is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can st ...
farther uptown in
Upper Manhattan Upper Manhattan is the northern section of the New York City borough of Manhattan. Its southern boundary has been variously defined, but some of the most common usages are 96th Street, 110th Street (the northern boundary of Central Park), 1 ...
. Thompson was taken to
Mount Sinai West Mount Sinai West, opened in 1871 as Roosevelt Hospital, is affiliated with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Health System. The 514-bed facility is located in the Midtown West neighborhood of New York City. The fa ...
hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m. According to a later
autopsy An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of deat ...
report, Thompson died from a gunshot wound to the back of the torso.


Timeline

* November 24, 10:11 p.m. – An unknown suspect arrives at the
Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus station, bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving ab ...
in
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...
on a Greyhound bus which originated in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, Georgia, and makes up to seven stops en route. * November 24 – Suspect checks into the HI New York City Hostel on the
Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper We ...
of Manhattan. His unmasked face was caught on
CCTV Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of closed-circuit television cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signa ...
during the check-in process. The suspect had two hostel roommates who said he would slip down his mask only when eating. * November 24 – Suspect cases the
New York Hilton Midtown The New York Hilton Midtown is the New York City hotels, largest hotel in New York City. The hotel is owned by Park Hotels & Resorts and managed by Hilton Worldwide. It has approximately 2,000 rooms and over of meeting space. The 47-floor bu ...
hotel. * November 29 – Suspect checks out of the HI New York City Hostel. * November 30 – Suspect checks back into the HI New York City Hostel. * December 4: ** 5:34 a.m. – Suspect leaves the hostel, and rides an
e-bike An electric bicycle, e-bike, electrically assisted pedal cycle, or electrically power assisted cycle is a bicycle with an integrated electric motor used to assist propulsion. Many kinds of e-bikes are available worldwide, but they generally fa ...
to Midtown. ** 6:15 a.m. – Suspect is seen leaving the 57th Street F Train subway stop. ** 6:17 a.m. – Suspect buys coffee, water, and
granola bar Granola is a food consisting of rolled oats, nuts, seeds, honey or other sweeteners such as brown sugar, and sometimes puffed rice, that is usually baked until crisp, toasted and golden brown. The mixture is stirred while baking to avoid bu ...
s at a
Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational List of coffeehouse chains, chain of coffeehouses and Starbucks Reserve, roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gor ...
café (at 1380 6th Ave) two blocks away from the New York Hilton Midtown hotel, discarding the coffee cup and water bottle. ** 6:30 a.m. – Surveillance footage captures the suspect walking while talking on the phone. ** 6:39 a.m. – Suspect arrives in front of the New York Hilton Midtown hotel and waits for several minutes. ** 6:40 a.m. – Thompson leaves the Marriott hotel (at 151 W 54th St) he stayed at the prior night, heading toward the New York Hilton Midtown hotel. ** 6:44 a.m. – Thompson walks along the sidewalk toward the New York Hilton Midtown hotel and the assailant shoots him multiple times, racking his pistol after it appeared to jam; the suspect immediately flees northbound via a pedestrian walkway. ** 6:46 a.m. – Police respond to a
911 911, 9/11 or Nine Eleven may refer to: Dates * AD 911 * 911 BC * September 11 ** The 2001 September 11 attacks on the United States by al-Qaeda, commonly referred to as 9/11 ** 11 de Septiembre, Chilean coup d'état in 1973 that ousted the ...
call reporting that a person has been shot. ** 6:48 a.m. – Officers arrive on scene and find Thompson with multiple gunshot wounds to his back and leg; he is taken to the hospital.
Assailant is seen riding an electric bicycle north into
Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
. ** 6:59 a.m. – A person appearing to be the suspect is seen riding a bike on West 85th St. ** 7:04 a.m. – Suspect gets into a northbound taxi on 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. ** 7:12 a.m. – Thompson is declared dead at Mt. Sinai Hospital. ** 7:30 a.m. – Suspect arrives at
George Washington Bridge Bus Station The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The bus station is owned and operated by the Port Author ...
.


Investigation

Three fired
cartridge case A cartridge, also known as a round, is a type of pre-assembled firearm ammunition packaging a projectile (bullet, shot, or slug), a propellant substance ( smokeless powder, black powder substitute, or black powder) and an ignition device ( pr ...
s alongside three unfired cartridges were found at the scene. The words "delay", "deny", and "depose" were written on the cases. "Depose" was inscribed on a casing from a round fired into Thompson, while "delay" was marked on an unfired cartridge ejected as the shooter appeared to be clearing a jam. The three words are similar to the phrase "delay, deny, defend", a well-known phrase in the insurance industry alluding to insurance companies' efforts to not pay out claims. Accordingly, police stated they were investigating whether the words suggest the killer's motive. A water bottle, candy wrapper, and phone were recovered from the scene and are believed to be connected to the shooter. Police said they believed they found the shooter's backpack in Central Park on December 6, 2024. The backpack contained a
Tommy Hilfiger Thomas Jacob Hilfiger ( ; born March 24, 1951) is an American fashion designer and the founder of Tommy Hilfiger (company), Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. After starting his career by co-founding a chain of jeans/fashion stores called People's P ...
jacket and ''Monopoly'' money. The
New York City Police Department The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
offered a reward up to $10,000 for information about the shooter on December 4, 2024. The following day, authorities released images of a suspect taken by surveillance cameras at the hostel and a Starbucks café. Two stills show the suspect's face, including one with him smiling widely at a female desk attendant at the hostel. Sources told CBS the front desk worker asked to "see his pretty smile." The FBI joined the investigation and separately offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction. The shooter was described by police as a white man, approximately tall, wearing a light brown or cream-colored hooded jacket, dark pants, and black sneakers with white soles. He had a gray backpack and concealed his face with a black face mask. Police said the suspect appeared to be proficient in the use of firearms and was described as being "extremely camera savvy".


Suspect

Luigi Mangione was born in
Towson, Maryland Towson () is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 59,533 in the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Baltimore County and the second-most populous unincorpo ...
on May 6, 1998. He graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
. Prior to his arrest, Mangione had no
criminal record A criminal record (not to be confused with a police record or arrest record) is a record of a person's criminal Conviction, convictions history. The information included in a criminal record, and the existence of a criminal record, varies betwe ...
. His last known residence was in
Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
, Hawaii. In November 2024, Mangione was reported missing by his mother, who said the family had not heard from him since July of that year.


Arrest and charges

Local police in
Altoona, Pennsylvania Altoona ( ) is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 43,963 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Altoona Metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan area, w ...
, arrested Mangione on December 9, 2024, at a
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
restaurant in the city. An employee there called the police to say that a customer recognized the suspect from images released by the NYPD. Altoona is about west of New York City. In his bag they found a 3D-printed gun and a 3D-printed
suppressor A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a gun barrel#Muzzle, muzzle device that suppresses the muzzle blast, blast created when a gun (firearm or airgun) is discharged, thereby reducing the sound inten ...
, which the police said are consistent with the weapon used in the shooting, and a falsified New Jersey
driver's license A driver's license, driving licence, or driving permit is a legal authorization, or the official document confirming such an authorization, for a specific individual to operate one or more types of motorized vehicles—such as motorcycles, ca ...
with the same name as the one used by the alleged shooter to check into the Manhattan hostel. The police also said that when they arrested Mangione, they found a three-page, 262-word handwritten document about the American healthcare system, which they characterized as a
manifesto A manifesto is a written declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party, or government. A manifesto can accept a previously published opinion or public consensus, but many prominent ...
. Mangione was charged in
Blair County, Pennsylvania Blair County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 122,822. Its county seat is Hollidaysburg, and its largest city is Altoona. The county was created on February 26, 1846, from parts of Hu ...
, with carrying a gun without a license, forgery, falsely identifying himself to the authorities, and possessing "instruments of crime" on December 9, 2024. He was arraigned at around 6 p.m. at Blair County Courthouse, pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and was denied bail. By the end of the day, he was charged in Manhattan with
second-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excus ...
, three counts of illegal weapons possession, and forgery. He was held in the State Correctional Institution at Huntingdon, a close-security state correctional facility in
Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania Huntingdon County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 44,092. Its county seat is Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, Hu ...
. Mangione hired Karen Friedman Agnifilo, former
prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in Civil law (legal system), civil law. The prosecution is the ...
at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and former legal analyst with CNN, as his New York case defense attorney. On December 17, New York prosecutors charged him with
first-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse ...
as murder committed in furtherance of terrorism. This charge and indictment modified the murder charge with which he was already charged, as the charge of murder as an act of
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
holds more weight than just a simple murder charge. He was
extradited In an extradition, one jurisdiction delivers a person accused or convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, into the custody of the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforcement procedure between the two jurisdic ...
to New York on December 19 and transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
following his first appearance in the Manhattan federal court. On December 23, Mangione pleaded not guilty to all New York state charges. In addition to the eleven state charges, he faces four new federal charges, including two counts of
stalking Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance or contact by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitorin ...
, a new firearms-related offense, and murder through use of a modified firearm. On April 1,
U.S. Attorney General The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The attorney general acts as the principal legal advisor to the president of the ...
Pam Bondi Pamela Jo Bondi ( ; born November 17, 1965) is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician who has served as the 87th United States attorney general since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, she served as the 37th attorney general of Fl ...
directed prosecutors to seek the
death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...
in the federal case. The state charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.


Handwritten letter

Upon Mangione's arrest, police said they found in his possession a 262-word handwritten document, which many media outlets characterized as a "manifesto". According to NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch, the handwritten document spoke to Mangione's "motivation and mindset". Journalist Ken Klippenstein published a transcription of the document police said was found on Mangione. Police confirmed that the transcription was legitimate. The document reads as follows:
To the Feds, I'll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn't working with anyone. This was fairly trivial: some elementary social engineering, basic CAD, a lot of patience. The spiral notebook, if present, has some straggling notes and To Do lists that illuminate the gist of it. My tech is pretty locked down because I work in engineering so probably not much info there. I do apologize for any strife of traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming. A reminder: the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy. United is the ndecipherablelargest company in the US by market cap, behind only Apple, Google, Walmart. It has grown and grown, but as icour life expectancy? No the reality is, these ndecipherablehave simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allwed icthem to get away with it. Obviously the problem is more complex, but I do not have space, and frankly I do not pretend to be the most qualified person to lay out the full argument. But many have illuminated the corruption and greed (e.g.:
Rosenthal Rosenthal is a German and Jewish surname meaning "rose valley". The Lithuanized form is Rosenthalis. Notable people with the name include: A * Abe M. Rosenthal (1922–2006), ''New York Times'' editor and columnist * Albert Rosenthal (1863– ...
,
Moore Moore may refer to: Language * Mooré language, spoken in West Africa People * Moore (surname) ** List of people with surname Moore * Moore Crosthwaite (1907–1989), a British diplomat and ambassador * Moore Disney (1765–1846), a senior ...
), decades ago and the problems simply remain. It is not an issue of awareness at this point, but clearly power games at play. Evidently I am the first to face it with such brutal honesty.
The
complaint In legal terminology, a complaint is any formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons (see: cause of action) that the filing party or parties (the plaintiff(s)) believes are sufficient to support a claim against the party ...
filed by the U.S. Attorney's Southern District of New York calls the letter "The Feds Letter" because it is addressed "To the Feds". The complaint was unsealed on December 19, 2024.


Possible motives

As of mid-December 2024, investigators' theory of Mangione's motive is ill will towards the health insurance industry. Police believe the motive was partially related to an injury that Mangione had suffered that caused him to visit the
emergency room An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pat ...
in July 2023. Online photos posted by Mangione showed screws in his back, though the identity of the person pictured is unverified. Mangione wrote online that he had
spondylolisthesis Spondylolisthesis is when one spinal vertebra slips out of place compared to another. While some medical dictionaries define spondylolisthesis specifically as the forward or anterior displacement of a vertebra over the vertebra inferior to it (o ...
, a lower back condition. Sources told CBS they believed Mangione had resentment towards UnitedHealthcare as well as other health insurance companies. According to UnitedHealthcare, he was not one of their customers. New York Police Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny believes Mangione may have targeted them because of the company's size. Police believe that Mangione was inspired, in part, by
Ted Kaczynski Theodore John Kaczynski ( ; May 22, 1942 – June 10, 2023), also known as the Unabomber ( ), was an American mathematician and domestic terrorist. He was a mathematics prodigy, but abandoned his academic career in 1969 to pursue a reclusi ...
's '' Industrial Society and Its Future''. Mangione's account posted a
Goodreads Goodreads is an American social cataloging website and a subsidiary of Amazon that allows individuals to search its database of books, annotations, quotes, and reviews. Users can sign up and register books to generate library catalogs and readi ...
review of ''Industrial Society and Its Future'', describing Kaczynski as "rightfully imprisoned" and was critical of his use of violence against innocent individuals. The review, which gave the manifesto four out of five stars, also contained a quote that the reviewer claimed to have found online. The quote contained the lines Violence never solved anything' is a statement uttered by cowards and predators", and "When all other forms of communication fail, violence is necessary to survive." A report on the killing by the
New York City Police Department The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
's Intelligence & Counterterrorism Bureau was obtained by independent journalist Dan Boguslaw, and published in full by Klippenstein on December 26. The intelligence report focused on Mangione's motive and people who express sympathy for him, whom the bureau labeled as " extremists". The report assessed that Mangione was motivated by "what he perceives as a 'parasitic' health insurance company and industry as a whole, as well as broader objections to corporate greed and a concern for modern society".


Reactions


Public

Many social media users expressed their contempt for Thompson, UnitedHealthcare, and the nation's health insurance system while expressing sympathy for and praising the assailant for his actions. Social media users shared stories of health insurance claim denials online, and joked about the killing with
memes A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ...
and
gallows humor Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
.
NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Media Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's various operations r ...
reported that the "main theme animating many of the posts about the Thompson killing was that UnitedHealthcare and other insurance companies harm and kill Americans by denying coverage in the name of profit". One physician told ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
'' that they believed the perpetrator should be brought to justice, but they also stated that Thompson's role as CEO had led to a great amount of suffering and loss of life, which he described as "on the order of millions", adding that "
t is T, or t, is the twentieth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is d ...
hard for me to sympathize when so many people have suffered because of his company".
Internet culture Internet culture refers to culture developed and maintained among frequent and active users of the Internet (also known as netizens) who primarily communicate with one another as members of online communities; that is, a culture whose influence ...
journalist Taylor Lorenz analyzed the responses on social media and wrote on her blog: "No, that does not mean people should murder them. But if you've watched a loved one suffer and die from insurance denial, it's normal to wish the people responsible would suffer the same fate." The shooter was called a
folk hero A folk hero or national hero is a type of hero – real, fictional or mythology, mythological – with their name, personality and deeds embedded in the popular consciousness of a people, mentioned frequently in Folk music, folk songs, folk tales ...
and celebrated as a
vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...
by some of the general public. He has been compared to
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...
and the
Dillinger Gang The Dillinger Gang was a group of American Depression-era bank robbers led by John Dillinger. The gang gained notoriety for a successful string of bank robberies, using modern tools and tactics, in the Midwestern United States from September 193 ...
. Look-alike contests have been held in New York City's
Washington Square Park Washington Square Park is a public park in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is an icon as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity. The park is operated by the New York City Department o ...
and at the
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
, and "
Wanted posters A wanted poster (or wanted sign) is a poster distributed to let the public know of a person whom authorities wish to apprehend. They generally include a picture of the person, either a photograph when one is available or of a facial composite ...
" of CEOs appeared in Manhattan. In the wake of the assassination, folk artist
Jesse Welles Jesse Welles may refer to: * Jesse Welles (actress) (born 1946), actress * Jesse Welles (musician) (born 1994), American singer-songwriter and guitarist See also * Jesse Wells (disambiguation) * Jesse Wellens ''PrankvsPrank'', also known a ...
wrote a protest song called " United Health", highlighting the perceived commodification of healthcare and the challenges faced by patients, which went viral online. The case has been compared to '' Joker'' and ''
V for Vendetta ''V for Vendetta'' is a British graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd (comics), David Lloyd (with additional art by Tony Weare). Initially published between 1982 and 1985 in black and white as an ongoing Serial (li ...
'', alluding to "ordinary citizens battling huge systems." ''
The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...
'' and ''
The New Hampshire Gazette ''The New Hampshire Gazette'' is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit, Alternative newspaper, alternative, bi-weekly newspaper published in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Its editors claim that the paper, which all but dis ...
'' opined that the case falls into the
anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
tradition of
propaganda of the deed Propaganda of the deed, or propaganda by the deed, is a type of direct action intended to influence public opinion. The action itself is meant to serve as an example for others to follow, acting as a catalyst for social revolution. It is primari ...
. Following his arrest, the McDonald's where Mangione was arrested was
review bomb A review bomb is a malicious Internet phenomenon in which a large number of people or Sock puppet account, a few people with multiple accounts post negative user reviews online in an attempt to harm the sales or popularity of a product, a service, ...
ed. Protests in support of Mangione have been held outside courts where he appeared. Items and merchandise in support of Mangione were posted on
Etsy Etsy, Inc. is an American e-commerce company with an emphasis on the selling of handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. These items fall under a wide range of categories, including jewelry, bags, clothing, home decor, religious items, furni ...
,
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...
and other
e-commerce E-commerce (electronic commerce) refers to commercial activities including the electronic buying or selling products and services which are conducted on online platforms or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile co ...
sites before being removed.
Street art Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art. Street art has evolved from the early forms of defiant gr ...
,
graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...
, and signs in support of Mangione appeared on buildings, streets, highways, and other places. A
billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
with the words "Free Luigi" was seen in
Riverside County Riverside County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most populous county in California and the 10th-most populous in the Unit ...
, California. According to the Network Contagion Research Institute, since Mangione's arrest, variations of "#FreeLuigi" have been shared over 50,000 times on X. They found that "by some measures", engagement with posts about Thompson's killing on platforms such as X and
Reddit Reddit ( ) is an American Proprietary software, proprietary social news news aggregator, aggregation and Internet forum, forum Social media, social media platform. Registered users (commonly referred to as "redditors") submit content to the ...
"surpassed that of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump in July." The NCRI also found that out of the top ten most-engaged tweets that mention Thompson or UnitedHealth, six of the posts implicitly or explicitly supported the killing or criticized Thompson. Some highlighted comments called for
class war Class War is an anarchist group and newspaper established by Ian Bone and others in 1983 in the United Kingdom. An incarnation of Class War was briefly registered as a political party for the purposes of fighting the 2015 United Kingdom gener ...
.
Zeynep Tufekci Zeynep Tufekci (; ; ) is a Turkish-American sociologist, and the Henry G. Bryant Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University. She is also a columnist for ''The New York Times''. Her work focuses on social media, media ethic ...
, sociologist and columnist for ''The New York Times'', commented: "I’ve been studying social media for a long time, and I can’t think of any other incident when a murder in this country has been so openly celebrated." She further noted, "The concentration of extreme wealth in the United States has recently surpassed that of the
Gilded Age In History of the United States, United States history, the Gilded Age is the period from about the late 1870s to the late 1890s, which occurred between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was named by 1920s historians after Mar ...
", and compared the public reaction to the fatal shooting of Thompson to political violence during that time period, stating that "inequities of the era fueled political movements that targeted corporate titans, politicians, judges and others for violence".
Robert Pape Robert Anthony Pape (; born April 24, 1960) is an American political scientist who studies national and international security affairs, with a focus on air power, political violence, social media propaganda, and terrorism. He is currently a pr ...
, an expert in
political violence Political violence is violence which is perpetrated in order to achieve political goals. It can include violence which is used by a State (polity), state against other states (war), violence which is used by a state against civilians and non-st ...
at the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
, told ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' that the response of online commentators was indicative of Americans' growing acceptance of violence to settle civil disputes.


Crowdfunding

Crowdsourcing Crowdsourcing involves a large group of dispersed participants contributing or producing goods or services—including ideas, votes, micro-tasks, and finances—for payment or as volunteers. Contemporary crowdsourcing often involves digit ...
fundraisers were also started by supporters of Mangione to cover his
legal costs Court costs (also called law costs in English procedure) are the costs of handling a case, which, depending on legal rules, may or may not include the costs of the various parties in a lawsuit in addition to the costs of the court itself. In the ...
on
GoFundMe GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the ...
, before being removed. Other social media users linked Mangione's jail commissary account soliciting donations for "snacks, sodas, an iPad, etc." Thomas Dickey, Mangione's defense attorney, commented on the crowdfunding campaign, saying: "The
Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
says all these rich billionaires can give all kind of money to candidates and that's 'free speech,' so maybe these people were exercising their
right to free speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognise ...
and saying that's the way they're supporting my client." A GiveSendGo fundraiser has remained live, and as of May 2025, it has raised over from crowdfunded donations. Several donors have cited the "politicization" of the case and the use of the death penalty,
due process Due process of law is application by the state of all legal rules and principles pertaining to a case so all legal rights that are owed to a person are respected. Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects the individual p ...
, and their frustration with the healthcare system as their reasons for donating. On February 14, 2025, Mangione's New York legal defense team created a website to provide information about his cases due to the "extraordinary volume of inquiries and outpouring of support". The site shared an official message from Mangione, who expressed his gratitude for the public's support, stating that "the support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions".


Health insurance corporations

After Thompson's death, UnitedHealthcare's parent company,
UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is an American Multinational corporation, multinational for-profit company specializing in health insurance and health care services based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Selling insurance products under UnitedHealth ...
, published a statement on Facebook detailing the death and their official condolences. Though the post's comment section was deactivated, over 100,000 Facebook users responded to the post with a "Haha" (or "laughing") reaction. UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty defended the company's claim denial practices in an internal video which was leaked after the fatal shooting of Thompson. Recorded on December 5, the day after Thompson's death, Witty emphasized the company's role in ensuring "safe and appropriate" care and that the insurance giant will continue to prevent "unnecessary care". Two months after the shooting, UnitedHealth hired a defamation law firm to take action against social media posts critical of the company. Prosecutors alleged that the killing had scared 40 UHC executives into hiring bodyguards. The killing significantly contributed to "months of tumult" at UnitedHealthcare. The public response led to growing negative perceptions of the company, which former chief medical officer Archelle Georgiou said "gets in the way of innovation and collaboration". Since the killing, the company's stock fell from $610 a share to $308. The company faced multiple lawsuits and investigations, had a decrease in profits, and in May, Witty abruptly resigned. UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and
CVS Health CVS Health Corporation is an American healthcare company that owns CVS Pharmacy, a retail pharmacy chain; CVS Caremark, a pharmacy benefits manager; and Aetna, a health insurance provider, among many other brands. The company is the worl ...
, which operates
Aetna Aetna Inc. ( ) is an American managed health care company that sells traditional and consumer directed health care insurance and related services, such as medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, long-term care, and disability plans, ...
, all removed photographs and other information about their executive leadership from their websites following Thompson's killing.
Managed care In the United States, managed care or managed healthcare is a group of activities intended to reduce the cost of providing health care and providing health insurance while improving the quality of that care. It has become the predominant system o ...
provider
Centene Centene Corporation is an American for-profit healthcare company based in St. Louis, Missouri, which is an intermediary for government-sponsored and privately insured healthcare programs. Centene ranked No. 25 on the 2023 Fortune 500. History ...
cancelled their in-person investor's day which had been scheduled for December 12, and instead planned a virtual conference. The days following Thompson's death saw a surge in inquiries about protective services and security for CEOs and corporate executives, according to
private security A private security company is a business entity which provides armed or unarmed security services and expertise to clients in the private or public sectors. Overview Private security companies are defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic ...
firm
Allied Universal Allied Universal is an American Security company, private security and staffing company, based in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania and Irvine, California. Formed in 2016 by the merger of AlliedBarton and Universal Protection Service, Universal Servic ...
. One former health insurance executive was quoted by the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'' as saying that threats against health insurance companies are common, and that "We'd have times when you'd deny proton laser therapy for a kid with
seizure A seizure is a sudden, brief disruption of brain activity caused by abnormal, excessive, or synchronous neuronal firing. Depending on the regions of the brain involved, seizures can lead to changes in movement, sensation, behavior, awareness, o ...
s and the parent would freak out." Michael Sherman, the former chief medical officer at Point32Health, justified the concerns of health insurance executives, saying, "It doesn't seem paranoid to worry that someone who's had services denied that they may believe are important might be in an emotionally unstable state."


Politicians

Public officials including Minnesota governor
Tim Walz Timothy James Walz (; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician who has served since 2019 as the 41st governor of Minnesota. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States, vice pre ...
and Senator
Amy Klobuchar Amy Jean Klobuchar ( ; born May 25, 1960) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Minnesota, a seat she has held since 2007. A member o ...
expressed dismay and offered condolences to the family; Walz said that he knew Thompson. Maryland state delegate Nino Mangione, cousin of Luigi Mangione said, "Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson, and we ask people to pray for all involved". Outgoing White House Press Secretary
Karine Jean-Pierre Karine Jean-Pierre (born August 13, 1974) is an American political advisor who served as the White House Press Secretary, White House press secretary from May 2022 to January 2025, and a senior advisor to President Joe Biden from October 2024 t ...
said that the government said that "violence to combat any sort of corporate greed is unacceptable". Pennsylvania Governor
Josh Shapiro Joshua David Shapiro (born June 20, 1973) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the 48th governor of Pennsylvania since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was the attorney general of Pen ...
commented that "Some attention in this case, especially online, has been deeply disturbing, as some have looked to celebrate instead of condemning this killer." At the time
President-elect An ''officer-elect'' is a person who has been elected to a position but has not yet been installed. Notably, a president who has been elected but not yet installed would be referred to as a ''president-elect'' (e.g. president-elect of the Un ...
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
also condemned the killing and called celebration of Mangione "a sickness". Outgoing
Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior, home, or public security ministries in other countries. Its missions invol ...
secretary
Alejandro Mayorkas Alejandro Nicolas Mayorkas (born November 24, 1959) is an American attorney and government official who was the seventh United States secretary of homeland security, serving from 2021 until 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Mayorkas previ ...
said that social media rhetoric about the killing was alarming, and that "It speaks of what is really bubbling here in this country, and unfortunately we see that manifested in violence, the domestic violent extremism that exists". California Democratic House representative
Ro Khanna Rohit Khanna (born September 13, 1976) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from California's 17th congressional district since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (Un ...
said, "There is no justification for violence" and added that the public reaction to Thompson's killing did not surprise him because "We waste hundreds of billions a year on health care administrative expenses that make insurance CEOs and wealthy
stockholders A shareholder (in the United States often referred to as stockholder) of corporate stock refers to an individual or legal entity (such as another corporation, a body politic, a trust or partnership) that is registered by the corporation as the le ...
incredibly rich while 85 million Americans go uninsured or underinsured". Massachusetts Democratic Senator
Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann Warren (née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A mem ...
stated, "The visceral response from people across this country who feel cheated, ripped off, and threatened by the vile practices of their insurance companies should be a warning to everyone in the health care system. Violence is never the answer, but people can be pushed only so far." New York Democratic Representative
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (born October 13, 1989), also known as AOC, is an American politician and activist who has served since 2019 as the United States House of Representatives, US representative for New York's 14th congressional distric ...
said, "This is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but I think for anyone who is confused or shocked or appalled, they need to understand that people interpret and feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them." Vermont senator
Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
condemned the killing, but said the public response showed that many people were angry at health insurance companies and their practices. Oregon senator
Ron Wyden Ronald Lee Wyden ( ; born May 3, 1949) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Oregon, a seat he has held since 1996 United States Senate special el ...
commented that "I've long said violence, murder, are always unacceptable, always. But I think that there is a context, you know, here that is hugely important".


Opinion polling

An
Emerson College Emerson College is a private college in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It also maintains campuses in Los Angeles and Well, Limburg, Netherlands (Kasteel Well). Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of Public Speaking, o ...
poll surveyed 1,000 American registered voters about the Thompson killing between December 11 and 13, 2024. The poll found that a majority (68%) of voters viewed the actions of the suspected killer as unacceptable. Among young voters aged 18–29, 41% found the killing "acceptable or somewhat acceptable", while 40% in the same age group did not.
NORC at the University of Chicago NORC at the University of Chicago, previously the National Opinion Research Center, is an independent social research organization in the United States. Established in 1941, its corporate headquarters is located in downtown Chicago, with office ...
conducted a poll of 1,001 American adults between December 12 to 16. When asked about the factors contributing to Thompson's death, 78 percent of respondents said the killer has "a great deal or a moderate amount of responsibility". A majority of respondents said that denials for health care coverage by insurance companies (69%) or the profits made by health insurance companies (67%) bore a "great deal or moderate amount" of responsibility for Thompson's death. A majority of respondents (53%) also said "wealth or income inequality in general" shared a "great deal or moderate amount" of responsibility for the killing. Young Americans were the age group least likely to say that the killer was responsible for the killing. An ''
Economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...
''/
YouGov YouGov plc is a international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm headquartered in the UK with operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. History 2000–2010 Stephan Shakespeare and Nadhim ...
poll conducted from December 15 to 17 surveying 1,553 U.S. adult citizens found that 43% of American citizens had a "somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable" view of Mangione, while 21% had a "somewhat favorable or very favorable view of him." Mangione received the most support from citizens aged 18–29 and "very liberal" citizens. He was viewed least favorably by citizens aged 65 and older and "very conservative" citizens. A December 12, 2024,
online poll An open-access poll is a type of opinion poll in which a nonprobability sample of participants self-select into participation. The term includes call-in, mail-in, and some online polls. The most common examples of open-access polls ask people to ...
of 1,000 registered voters in the US taken by conservative Republican pollster
Scott Rasmussen Scott William Rasmussen (born March 30, 1956) is an American public opinion pollster and political analyst. He is the president of RMG Research, founder of the Napolitan Institute, and an editor-at-large for Ballotpedia. In the 1970s, Rasmu ...
/RMG Research, Inc. found that 53% of respondents view the Thompson killer as a "villain", while 10% view the killer as a "hero". The poll found that younger voters, Progressive Democrats, "people who talk politics every day", and those with postgraduate degrees were "more likely than others to say that such murder is sometimes justifiable". The Center for Strategic Politics ran an online poll with 455 American adults on December 11. The poll found that "61% of respondents said they have a strong or somewhat negative perception of Mangione", while 19% had a positive or somewhat positive view. Opinions on Mangione varied "dramatically" by age. The poll also found that young Americans view Mangione "far more favorably" than they viewed Thompson and UnitedHealthcare. A poll of 6,000 U.S. adults was conducted by CloudResearch on December 19, utilizing AI. The poll found that 27% of respondents were sympathetic to Mangione, with 12% supporting the murder. Support for the murder was higher among those under 30 and the political left. Generation Lab conducted a poll of 1,026 U.S. college students between December 19 and 23. When asked about who they sympathized with more, 45% of respondents said the suspect, 17% said Thompson, and 37% said neither. Most respondents (81%) said they have an extremely or somewhat negative view of Thompson.
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
/
Suffolk University Suffolk University is a private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. With 7,560 students on all campuses, it is the List of colleges and universities in metropolitan Boston, tenth-largest university ...
conducted a poll of over 1,000 registered voters between January 7 and 11. The poll found that almost two-thirds of respondents thought the killing was wrong and that the killer should be prosecuted. Most of the rest agreed that the killing was wrong, but that they understood the killer's anger.


See also

*
Healthcare in the United States Healthcare in the United States is largely provided by private sector healthcare facilities, and paid for by a combination of public programs, private insurance, and out-of-pocket payments. The U.S. is the only developed country without a syste ...
*
Healthcare reform debate in the United States The healthcare reform debate in the United States has been a political issue focusing upon increasing medical coverage, decreasing costs, insurance reform, and the philosophy of its provision, funding, and government involvement. Details Dur ...


Notes


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