The man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York last week likely saw his actions as heroic, according to police.
The New York Times obtained an internal memo that stated that Luigi Mangione, 26, saw Thompson’s murder as a “symbolic takedown” and a direct response to “corruption” within the healthcare industry. The report expressed concerns about how Mangione may be characterized as a “martyr and an example to follow.”
“Frankly these parasites simply had it coming,” Mangione said in a three-page manifesto, found in his possession when he was arrested Monday, per the internal memo.
READ: Who Is Luigi Mangione? The Ivy League Grad Accused of Killing UHC CEO Brian Thompson
The New York Times reported that officers who responded to a McDonald’s in Altoona found Mangione wearing a medical mask, sitting alone with a backpack and laptop. He allegedly tried to give police a fake ID card before identifying himself as Mangione.
Cops were dispatched to the McDonald’s by an employee who believed he resembled widely publicized photos of Thompson’s alleged killer.
Shortly after Mangione’s arrest, New York officials held a press coverage in which they hinted at the motive in Thompson’s murder. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione, a data engineer with a master’s from the University of Pennsylvania, “has some ill will towards corporate America.” However, they declined to reveal a specific motive.
In addition to allegedly having a gun with a silencer and fake IDs, Mangione reportedly also had a two-page manifesto that denounced the healthcare industry and encouraged violence against it.
Mangione was born in Maryland and his last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has no prior arrests in New York, per officials.
Mangione is charged with firearm offenses in Pennsylvania. He was formally charged with Thompson’s death on Tuesday.
[Feature Photo: Handout]
