Luigi Mangione

Luigi Nicholas Mangione
Born:	May 6, 1998 Towson, Maryland
Charges:	First-degree murder (federal), Murder of a United States citizen, Stalking, Use of a silencer in a crime of violence, Second-degree murder (state), Criminal possession of a weapon, Forgery
Sentence:	Pending trial
Facility:	Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn
Status:	Awaiting trial

Luigi Nicholas Mangione (born May 6, 1998) is an American man charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, who was shot and killed outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024. Following a five-day nationwide manhunt, Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9, 2024. He faces both federal charges, for which Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed prosecutors to seek the death penalty, and New York state murder charges. Mangione, an Ivy League-educated engineer from a prominent Baltimore family, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Since his arrest, he has attracted significant public attention, with some supporters portraying him as a folk hero protesting the American healthcare system, while prosecutors characterize the killing as a premeditated assassination.

Summary

The killing of Brian Thompson became one of the most closely followed criminal cases in recent American history, sparking intense debate about the U.S. healthcare system and corporate accountability. Thompson, 50, was shot multiple times outside the New York Hilton Midtown on the morning of December 4, 2024, as he walked toward the hotel where UnitedHealthcare's annual investor conference was being held. The gunman fled on foot and then by bicycle, evading police in Central Park before disappearing from the city.

Shell casings recovered at the scene bore the words "delay," "deny," and what appeared to be "depose"—language that critics of the insurance industry have long associated with tactics used to reject or postpone legitimate claims. A three-page handwritten document found on Mangione at the time of his arrest expressed anger at what he allegedly characterized as a corrupt healthcare system that prioritizes profits over patients.

The case has become a flashpoint in American political discourse, with Mangione's supporters raising over $900,000 for his legal defense by mid-April 2025. His case has also drawn comparisons to historical acts of political violence and raised questions about public anger toward the healthcare industry.

Background

Early Life and Family

Luigi Mangione was born on May 6, 1998, in Towson, Maryland, to Kathleen (née Zannino) and Louis Mangione, a Baltimore-area couple of Italian descent. He grew up in a wealthy and influential family with deep roots in Baltimore's Italian American community. His paternal grandfather, Nicholas Mangione, was the son of poor Italian immigrants who built a business empire including country clubs, an assisted living company, and a conservative radio station.

The Mangione family owns the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, Maryland, and Hayfields Country Club in Hunt Valley, Maryland. The family also operates a charitable foundation with nearly $4.5 million in assets and has been a longtime benefactor of Loyola University Maryland, which named its aquatic center after them. One of Mangione's cousins, Nino Mangione, serves as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates.

Education

Mangione attended the Gilman School, one of the most elite all-boys college preparatory schools in the Baltimore region, where annual tuition today approaches $40,000. At Gilman, he participated in soccer, track, cross country, and wrestling. He developed an early interest in video games and coding, teaching himself to program and co-founding a gaming app development company while still in high school. Mangione graduated as valedictorian of his class in 2016, delivering a graduation speech focused on the impact of artificial intelligence and technology on society.

Mangione attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering with a focus on computer science, graduating in May 2020. As a freshman, he founded a video game development club that grew to include more than 50 members. In a 2017 interview with the campus newspaper, he spoke about wanting to move away from the university's competitive culture by making the club open to anyone.

Career and Health Issues

Following graduation, Mangione worked as a data engineer at TrueCar, Inc., an online car marketplace, beginning in November 2020. He stopped working for the company in 2023. After college, Mangione moved to Hawaii, where he lived at Surfbreak, a co-living space, and worked remotely. According to reports, he spent his free time hiking, stargazing, and reading.

While in Hawaii, Mangione suffered a serious lower back injury while surfing that grew progressively worse over time. Friends and acquaintances have said his chronic pain increasingly isolated him and may have contributed to growing frustration with the healthcare system. In the months before the shooting, Mangione had apparently withdrawn from friends and family, with some reporting they had lost contact with him entirely.

The Shooting and Manhunt

Murder of Brian Thompson

On the morning of December 4, 2024, Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was walking toward the New York Hilton Midtown in Midtown Manhattan, where the company's annual investor conference was scheduled to take place. At approximately 6:45 a.m., a masked gunman approached Thompson from behind and shot him multiple times with a pistol equipped with a suppressor. Thompson was transported to Mount Sinai West hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The gunman fled the scene on foot and then by bicycle, riding into Central Park before disappearing. Surveillance footage captured images of the shooter at various points before and after the killing, including at a nearby Starbucks and a hostel on the Upper West Side where he had stayed under a false name. Shell casings found at the scene were inscribed with the words "delay," "deny," and what appeared to be "depose"—terms associated with insurance claim denial practices.

Arrest in Pennsylvania

A nationwide manhunt ensued, with the NYPD releasing surveillance images and offering a reward for information. On December 9, 2024, five days after the shooting, a customer at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, recognized Mangione from the widely circulated photographs and alerted staff, who called police. Officers found Mangione wearing a mask similar to one seen in surveillance footage and carrying a fraudulent New Jersey identification card, a 3D-printed "ghost gun" with a suppressor believed to be the murder weapon, and a three-page handwritten document expressing grievances against the healthcare industry.

Charges and Legal Proceedings

State Charges

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg initially charged Mangione with second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and forgery. The charges were later upgraded to include first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism and second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism, based on the alleged intent to intimidate the public and influence corporate policy through violence.

In September 2025, Judge Gregory Carro dismissed the two terrorism-related murder charges, ruling that they did not meet the legal threshold for acts intended to intimidate or coerce the public. However, Mangione still faces the charge of second-degree murder in the state case, which carries a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

Federal Charges

A federal grand jury indicted Mangione on charges including murder of a United States citizen, stalking, and use of a silencer in a crime of violence. In early 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty, making this one of the highest-profile federal death penalty cases in recent years. The Department of Justice defended the decision to seek the death penalty in a November 2025 court filing.

Defense Strategy

Mangione's defense attorneys have filed motions to suppress evidence collected during his arrest, arguing that Altoona police officers improperly seized items from his backpack and questioned him before reading his Miranda rights. As of November 2025, Mangione had not yet received a laptop to review discovery materials, despite a judge's ruling that he could have one in jail.

Public Response

The killing and Mangione's subsequent arrest triggered an extraordinary public response. While many condemned the murder, others expressed sympathy for what they perceived as an act of protest against a healthcare system that denies coverage and prioritizes profits. Social media posts celebrating Mangione proliferated, and a website soliciting donations for his legal defense had raised more than $900,000 by mid-April 2025.

The case has become a focal point for debates about healthcare policy, income inequality, and public frustration with large corporations. Commentators have drawn parallels to historical cases of political violence while noting the unusual degree of public sympathy for an accused murderer.

Terminology

• Ghost Gun: A firearm that lacks commercial serial numbers, often assembled from parts or 3D-printed, making it difficult to trace.

• Suppressor: A device attached to a firearm to reduce the sound of the gunshot.

• First-Degree Murder: The most serious murder charge, typically requiring premeditation and deliberation.

• Death Penalty: Capital punishment; the federal death penalty requires the Attorney General's authorization to seek.

See Also

• Overview of the Federal Prison System
• Pre-Sentencing Process