On December 4, 2024, the United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was shot in front of his hotel in Manhattan. “Deny” “delay” and “depose” were the words found on shell casings at the scene of the crime, these are common words that insurance companies use to deny insurance coverage. People soon realized that this was not a random killing, but a planned assassination.
Five days later, the alleged killer, Luigi Mangione, was arrested in Pennsylvania where he was found with a 3-D printed gun, a manifesto, and multiple fake IDs. This sent the media into a frenzy, with many people wondering who he is and why he went after a healthcare CEO.
Brian Thompson, the man assassinated, started his career at United Healthcare as the director of Corporate Development in 2004. Slowly but surely, he climbed up the corporate ladder, and in 2021, he became the CEO. In the book “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It” Jay Feinman wrote, “If [insurance companies] pays out less in claims, it keeps more in profits.” In his first year as CEO, he grew company profits by 11.8%, or thirty billion dollars. Many people say the reason he was able to grow profits so much was because United Healthcare denied so many insurance claims.
After a tragedy like this, it is expected that people would race to find justice for the victim. But as investigators search for information regarding Luigi Mangione, some on social media wish to set him free.
Luigi’s appearance has resulted in an uproar on social media, including fake alibis: “Luigi Mangione planned an entire date with me on December 4th, 2024…I think we’re gonna get married.” Whether or not the creators of these posts are only trying to be funny, these posts are still glorifying an alleged killer. However, this isn’t the first time a criminal has received praise.
In 2008, Jodie Arias was convicted of first-degree murder for killing her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander. During her trial, many people believed she couldn’t have been the killer because of her appearance. However, she was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Even though what she did was wrong, it shows how people will dismiss or downplay a crime, even a crime as bad as murder, when someone is good-looking.
Psychology in Film students, Nyla Zindler ‘26, Chloe Lambert ‘26, and Charlotte Koch ‘26, recognize Mangione’s respectable family background, “Owning country clubs, health care facilities, and real estate companies.” They believe that “On paper, this man does not seem scary because he had a stable job and a peaceful and respectful upbringing.”
Although some aren’t convinced that Mangione is the killer of CEO, Brian Thompson, most people wonder what led the high school valedictorian and University of Pennsylvania alumni to commit such a crime. Mangione graduated in 2016 from the elite prep school, Gilman, located in Baltimore, in which he emphasized the importance of “challenging the world,” in his speech.
A high school classmate, who spoke with ABC News, says that Mangione is “the last person I expected to be involved in something like this,” also stating that, “He was an incredibly intelligent, humble, and kind person… He didn’t give any indication of radical views or mental instability at the time. He seemed like a very bright guy with a bright future.”
Following his graduation, Mangione began working as a data engineer at an online car marketplace TrueCar, Inc. according to a LinkedIn profile that seemed to belong to Mangione. A representative for TrueCar said that he stopped working there in 2023. His last known whereabouts are in Honolulu at a co-living space for online workers. Police said that R.J. Martin, founder of the co-living space, who claimed he was Mangione’s roommate, said he was “beyond shocked by the news.” Martin also said that he, “Never once talked about guns, never once talked about violence, he was absolutely not a violent person, as far as I could tell.” Martin also recalled that Mangione had gotten injured during a surf lesson and needed back surgery.
Mangione had spinal surgery and was experiencing chronic back pain, numbness, and restless sleep, according to his archived version of his deleted Reddit account, which according to NBC News, friends of Luigi were able to confirm was him. His account, named, “Mister_Cactus,” contained posts describing his pain, Luigi writes that his condition “went bad to the point where I felt it every day.”
According to an NBC news article published December 11th, 2024, “Yoni Ashar, an expert in pain and science and an assistant professor at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus said ‘back pain can lock patients in a vicious cycle that affects sleep, mental health and other aspects of their well-being.”
At SSSAS, Psychology in Film students analyze characters in films and TV and the intentions behind their actions. We asked these students to analyze Luigi Mangione and why they think he did it. Students Ryan Stead ’25, Walker Ferry ‘26 and Zach Noren ‘26, note how “Mangione suffered from back pain, after getting surgery his social activity and routine slowed down, which can possibly weaken somebody’s well-being.”
Mangione’s traumatic back accident left him with angry feelings towards the Healthcare industry. Even though Luigi wasn’t insured by United Healthcare, in his Manifesto he writes, “These parasites had it coming,” referring to the Healthcare industry.
Maegan McCann ‘26, Julia Christacos ‘26, and Caroline Minor ‘26 said that “He lashed out due to his poor treatment from the medical community regarding his back issues”
During his recent court appearance, Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his next appearance in the New York State Court is February 21. Now, Mangione could be facing the death penalty. In the aftermath of Brian Thompson’s assassination, many companies have hidden who their CEOs are online to prevent people trying to do something similar from finding out any information on their whereabouts. This event has changed people’s opinions on CEOs, public safety, and how looks play into public perception.
