A Suspect ID'd As Luigi Mangione, A UPenn Graduate And High School Valedictorian, Has Been Arrested On Gun Charges and Named A Person Of Interest in The Killing Of The United Health Care CEO

NBC New York - Police arrested a 26-year-old man on Monday on firearm charges and publicly identified him as a person of interest in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the executive gunned down on a busy midtown Manhattan sidewalk last week.

The New York Police Department said the man was being held near Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an employee at a local McDonald's thought the looked suspicious and called police.

"At this time he is believed to be our person of interest in the brazen, targeted murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare last Wednesday in midtown Manhattan," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press conference alongside Mayor Eric Adams.

Tisch identified the person of interest as Luigi Mangione. The commissioner said he had a three-page manifesto on his person that speaks to his possible alleged "motivation and mindset" in the killing.

Mangione has not been charged in Thompson's death at this time.

"We don't think there is any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document, but it does seem that he has some ill-will towards corporate American," Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said.

Once at the police station, police said, officers discovered the man had a gun similar to the one used in Thompson's killing, as well as a silencer and a fake New Jersey ID. The suspected gunman allegedly used a fake New Jersey ID when he checked into a Manhattan hostel last month, sources had said.

Mangione had a ghost gun, a type of weapon that can be assembled at home from parts without a serial number, making them difficult to trace, investigators said.

This entire story is straight out of a "Law & Order" fever dream. 

Last week, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk- broad daylight, no less, on his way to an investor conference. And just when you thought corporate America couldn’t be any more cutthroat, in strolls Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old former valedictorian with a ghost gun, a manifesto, and apparently, A LOT of beef with the system.

Nate blogged it when it broke - 

Let’s break it down. The NYPD announced they’ve arrested a guy they’re calling a “person of interest” in the case. And how’d they catch him? At a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, because he looked “suspicious.”

Mangione isn’t your run-of-the-mill suspect. He’s not some career criminal with a rap sheet longer than a CVS receipt. This guy spent four years as valedictorian at Gilman School, a swanky all-boys prep academy in Baltimore where the tuition alone could fund a small nation. He followed that up by completing a combined BS and MS in computer science at UPenn in just four years. Half a million dollars in elite education later, and what’s he doing? Ghost guns and manifestos. Look, everyone gets stressed post-graduation, but most people settle for crying in the shower, not targeted assassinations.

Mangione’s alleged manifesto—because of course there’s a manifesto—was reportedly three pages long and dripping with disdain for corporate America. No direct threats, they say, just "vibes."

Apparently, our own Jack Mac has a few degrees of separation from the guy. 

And yah, guy had A LOT of beef with the health care industry.

And this kid by all accounts seemed very, very smart. Not Francis Ellis smart, but close. 

The attack on Thompson wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment thing. This was targeted. Pre-meditated. The killer used a ghost gun- those untraceable DIY firearms that I still can't wrap my brain around, that give law enforcement migraines. 

(Sidebar - how the hell do you "print" a gun? I've never undertsood this. How do you print something at home that you can put bullets in and use to kill somebody? I'm not that bright, but I'm not that dumb, and I can't begin to comprehend this. I think I need to do a watch this when you're high on 3d printers tonight.)

But to Magione. The ammo found at the scene was labeled with phrases like “delay,” “deny,” and “depose,” a clear nod to insurance industry critics who think UnitedHealthcare’s slogan is basically, “Pay us, and we’ll see you in hell.”

And then there’s the getaway. The shooter ditched the scene on a bicycle, went full James Bond, and disappeared into Central Park. He dumped the bike, hopped into a taxi, and poof- ghosted like Louis Dumps who owed you $20.

Surveillance tracked him to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, but after that, he’s Houdini.

Fast forward to Monday. Mangione’s chilling in Altoona, rocking a fake New Jersey ID with the alias “Mark Rosario,” a name so generic it screams, “I’m definitely hiding something.” Cops say they found a gun matching the one used in the shooting, a silencer, and that infamous manifesto on him. Classic "If I Did It" starter pack.

This case took a break for the investigators last week when security footage was discovered of the suspected shooter pulling his mask down to flirt with a desk clerk at the hostel he was staying at.

Karim blogged this last week - 

Not a great look guys.

Nobody knows why Mangione allegedly turned CEO hunter. Was he a disgruntled employee? A pissed-off customer? A vigilante trying to avenge denied insurance claims? All we know is that he had some serious beef with corporate suits. And hey, who hasn’t spent an afternoon fantasizing about taking down their ISP? But actually doing it? That’s next-level rage.

And let’s not ignore the elephant in the room here: half a million bucks in elite education and this is where he ends up? Four years in private school, another four at an Ivy League, and instead of working at Google or sipping lattes in Silicon Valley, he’s pulling off hit jobs like he’s auditioning for a John Wick reboot. 

I get it. Corporate America can be a soul-crushing machine.  But dude, there's gotta be a better way to stick it to the man than putting a bullet in someone's back. Maybe write a strongly worded email? Start writing toned-down yet very passive aggressive blogs on Barstool? I dont know but there's got to be more effective means without killing somebody in cold blood.

Mangione’s now sitting in a Pennsylvania jail, awaiting extradition to New York. Meanwhile, the NYPD is piecing together his 10-day Manhattan adventure, which sounds more like a "Bourne Identity" knockoff than a real-life crime spree. And let’s not ignore the irony here: a guy allegedly furious with capitalism gets taken down by a minimum-wage McDonald’s employee. Talk about poetic justice. 

So, what’s next? We wait. The feds will dive into that manifesto like it’s a treasure map, and the media will dig up every awkward prom photo Mangione’s ever taken.

This whole thing just blows my mind. You got the brains, the education, the whole world at your fingertips… and you choose to become a corporate assassin?  It's like ordering a filet mignon and then using it to balance the wobbly dining table. 

Luigi, my man, you had so much potential.  Now you're just another statistic, another headline, another cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition and a really bad attitude. Another bad look, and another bad day for Italian Americans.

p.s. - I have spent the last hour scouring twitter and google for info to make sure there is no relation between Luigi and THE LEGENDARY Chuck Mangione. One of the greatest saxophonists of all time and heir to the title of "greatest saxophone solo of all time on a 1980's yacht rock anthem". This will be too soul-crushing for us.