Luigi Mangione’s twisted path from a well-respected Ivy League scholar to the alleged murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was being pieced collectively by family and friends.
The 26-year-old suspect – who was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania Monday – went ‘completely loopy’ after painful again surgical procedure and explored psychedelic therapy for his continual ache, it was revealed.
Pals mentioned Mangione dropped off the radar when ‘the whole lot modified’ after a browsing accident – and it has now been reported he singled out UnitedHealthcare in a ‘manifesto’ he was carrying.
Within the 262-word handwritten doc, Mangione mentioned as UnitedHealthcare’s market capitalization has grown, American life expectancy has not.
He condemned corporations that ‘proceed to abuse our nation for immense revenue as a result of the American public has allowed them to get away with it.
Mangione reportedly wrote that he acted alone and was self-funded, including: ‘To save lots of you a prolonged investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anybody.
‘These parasites had it coming. I do apologize for any strife and trauma, nevertheless it needed to be executed.’
A former roommate of Mangione’s has instructed CNN: ‘I keep in mind he mentioned he had a again situation, and he hoped to get stronger in Hawaii.
Luigi Mangione was behind bars on Monday night time awaiting extradition to New York over the homicide of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Mangione (second from the left) stayed at a surfer’s collective whereas dwelling in Hawaii earlier than ‘the whole lot modified’ following a browsing accident
The expertise was ‘actually traumatic and tough’ for him, the roommate mentioned whereas including that Mangione despatched him X-ray photos of his backbone. ‘It seemed heinous, with simply big screws going into his backbone,’ Martin mentioned.
Mangione all of the sudden went ‘radio silent’ whereas recovering. He sought different types of ache administration, together with psychedelics and magic mushrooms.
His household was so involved about him that he was reported lacking on Nov 18, in line with The New York Submit.
The Mangione household mentioned they have been ‘shocked and devastated’ in a press release launched Monday night time, saying: ‘We provide our prayers to the household of Brian Thompson and we ask folks to wish for all concerned.’
Mangione was charged with homicide by NYC officers late Monday after his seize in Pennsylvania the place he stays jailed on firearms costs.
The alleged killer offered cops with a pretend ID when he was approached in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s. When police requested him if he had been to New York lately, he ‘grew to become quiet and began to shake.’
In his backpack, police discovered a 3D-printed pistol and a 3D-printed silencer. Mangione was additionally carrying a passport and $10,000 in money — $2,000 of it in international foreign money.
On X, Mangione had created a titled ‘psych’ filled with tweets about psilocybin, also referred to as magic mushrooms and ln January 25 this 12 months he added to his Goodreads a guide referred to as ‘Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Information’, and ‘Mushrooms of Hawai’i: An Identification Information’.
Mangione arrives at courtroom on Monday night time after being captured by Altoona Police
The alleged killer was pictured inside his jail cell
The reported claims from college pals of a again harm tally with the path Mangione left on social media.
One buddy, Carolina Leon, tagged Mangione in an Instagram put up about her birthday journey to Hawaii in December 2022. One other, Stephen Rasinar, tagged Mangione in a put up a few two-week journey to the Pacific archipelago – suggesting he was there with pals lately.
His profile image on X contains an obvious x-ray of steel pins in a backbone. Emergency doctor Dr. Kashif Pirzada wrote on X that the image ‘Appears like a lumbar spinal fusion surgical procedure’.
Mangione had an account on guide overview website Goodreads.com, and listed books on again ache administration.
One is titled ‘Again in Management: A Spinal Surgeon’s Roadmap Out of Power Ache’. One other is ‘Crooked: Outwitting the Again Ache Business and Getting on the Highway to Restoration’.
However essentially the most intriguing is a overview he wrote of the manifesto drawn up by ‘Unabomber’ Theodore Kaczynski, who planted bombs which killed three People earlier than lastly being caught in 1996.
‘He was a violent particular person – rightfully imprisoned – who maimed harmless folks,’ Mangione wrote. ‘Whereas these actions are typically characterised as these of a loopy luddite, nevertheless, they’re extra precisely seen as these of an excessive political revolutionary.’
‘When all different types of communication fail, violence is critical to outlive. Chances are you’ll not like his strategies, however to see issues from his perspective, it’s not terrorism, it’s warfare and revolution.’
Mangione additionally added a guide referred to as ‘The way to Change Your Thoughts: The New Science of Psychedelics’.
Jack Mac, a staffer at Barstool Sports activities, mentioned highschool pals of the alleged shooter declare he was ‘loopy’ after being injured.
‘Spoke with a supply that had a whole lot of pals that went to highschool with Luigi Mangione,’ he wrote. ‘What retains arising is a again surgical procedure that “modified the whole lot” for him and he went “completely loopy”.’
‘Again harm occurred when he was browsing in Hawaii. Surgical procedure didn’t go nice. Moved to Japan. His contact with household stopped a few 12 months in the past. Not too long ago the household reached out to his pals from highschool asking if they’d information on him.’
The suspected gunman reportedly referenced UnitedHealthcare within the handwritten doc discovered on him.
Mangione talked about the $515.93 billion firm in his manifesto noting the dimensions of the corporate and the way a lot cash it makes, a senior regulation enforcement official who noticed the doc instructed The New York Instances.
Luke Goldstein, a author at unbiased political journal The Prospect, mentioned {that a} mutual buddy went to highschool with Mangione and was on the wrestling group with him.
‘Says he was the category valedictorian. He had again surgical procedure just a few months in the past and went lacking. Nobody had heard from him,’ Goldstein wrote on X.
Mangione hung out in Hawaii the place he hoped to get well from again surgical procedure
An X-ray picture appeared to point out Mangione’s surgical procedure
Mangione was seen with a face protecting in his first picture after his arrest
Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson at point-blank vary on December 5
Mangione was noticed on surveillance digicam at a hostel in NYC
The previous Ivy League scholar had been researching psychedelics instead therapy
Mangione was valedictorian of his 2016 class on the Gilman College in Baltimore, the place tuition is $40,000 a 12 months. He then graduated cum laude from Ivy League college the College of Pennsylvania.
One colleague instructed CNN they have been ‘flabbergasted’ by information of his arrest.
‘I by no means acquired the impression he would self-destruct,’ the individual instructed the community.
One other buddy of Mangione, Boston-based designer Daniel Collins, took to X in latest months in a last-ditch try to contact him, saying that ‘no one has heard from you in months.’
‘Hey man I would like you to name me,’ Collins wrote to Mangione on September 7 this 12 months. ‘I don’t know if you’re okay or simply in a brilliant remoted place and don’t have any service. However I haven’t heard from you in months.
‘Your made commitments to me for my wedding ceremony and should you can’t honor them I have to know so I can plan accordingly.’
On October 30, one other buddy with the X username TheRealMandusa wrote: ‘Hey, are you okay? No person has heard from you in months, and apparently your loved ones is searching for you.’
On November 26, a 3rd X consumer with the identify P. wrote: ‘Considering of you and prayers on a regular basis in your identify. Know you’re missed and cherished.’
