Luigi Mangione kills UnitedHealthcare CEO to protest healthcare system
- Luigi Mangione allegedly planned the assassination of Brian Thompson, motivated by strong hostility towards the insurance industry.
- Prosecutors released handwritten notes that outline Mangione's intent to send a political message through the assassination.
- The case against Mangione presents overwhelming evidence of premeditated murder and has ramifications for the broader healthcare debate.
In the United States, six weeks before the assassination, Luigi Mangione expressed intentions to rebel against what he perceived as a greedy healthcare industry. In handwritten notes released by New York prosecutors, Mangione outlined his premeditated plan to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4. Prosecutors described his writings as a manifesto revealing hostility towards wealth and the insurance industry, with references to the Unabomber's ideals feeding his motivation. Mangione was arrested on December 9, following which federal prosecutors charged him with involved offenses, including stalking, and indicated they will seek the death penalty for his actions aimed at inciting terror. He has pleaded not guilty and contests the charges, claiming double jeopardy and seeking pre-trial dismissals for terrorism charges. His extensive writings, which detail his motivations, were highlighted by prosecutors to showcase the intentional and calculated nature of his crime, aimed at sending a powerful social and political message about the healthcare system's perceived failures.