The family of a man suspected of murdering Brian Thompson have spoken out following his arrest.
As widely reported, Thompson was shot dead in Manhattan, New York on December 4.
Thompson was shot three times on December 4 outside the Hilton Hotel while walking to an insurance conference hosted by his company, per the Guardian.
The New York Police Department confirmed that the suspect had been "lying in wait" for about five minutes before targeting Thompson. Sources revealed that the bullets and casings found at the scene bore inscriptions reading “deny,” “depose,” and “defend.”
What followed was a five-day manhunt for the killer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, and on December 9, police made an arrest.
Luigi Nicholas Mangione, 26, was apprehended outside a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania following a tip-off from a worker.
Mangione left a series of clues for authorities, including a backpack containing Monopoly money, a jacket, and surveillance footage from locations such as a cab, a Starbucks, and a hostel.
When questioned by police, Mangione reportedly became visibly nervous and started shaking. Officers discovered a 3D-printed black pistol and silencer in his backpack.
Following Mangione’s arrest, his cousin, Baltimore County Delegate Nino Mangione, released a statement expressing shock and dismay, per CNN.
“Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest,” Nino Mangione said. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news.”
The family declined to comment further, citing limited knowledge of the case beyond media reports.
Mangione, a computer science graduate, hails from a wealthy family in Towson, Maryland. The family owns two country clubs and a radio station.
His last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii.
When searching him, police also found a supposed manifesto that could shed some light on why the murder happened.
According to the New York Post, the manifesto accused insurance companies of exploiting Americans for profit.
“The reality is, these [companies] have gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit," Mangione allegedly wrote.
The note also allegedly stated that he acted alone and expressed regret for the trauma caused, but claimed his actions “had to be done.”
“Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming,” the manifesto reportedly read, according to police sources.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Mangione hailed from a prominent family involved in real estate and hospitality, as reported by BBC News.
He attended the elite Gilman School, where he was valedictorian of his graduating class.
In a statement, the school described the situation as “deeply distressing.”
Mangione went on to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also founded a video game development club.
Professionally, Mangione worked as a data engineer for TrueCar, a digital auto retailing company, until 2023.
He also held internships with Firaxis, a video game developer, and lived briefly in a surfing community in Hawaii before leaving due to a worsening back injury.
Though Mangione’s own experience with the healthcare system remains speculative, friends say he underwent back surgery and dealt with chronic pain.
His social media featured an X-ray of a spine with pins in it, and his Goodreads account indicated he read books on back pain, including Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry.
Of greater concern to investigators is Mangione’s review of Industrial Society and Its Future by Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber.
In his review, Mangione allegedly acknowledged Kaczynski’s violence but characterized the text as “the work of an extreme political revolutionary.”
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