What we know about Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the Brian Thompson murder: NPR

In this handout photo released by the Altoona Police Department, Luigi Mangione is seen in a holding cell after being taken into custody on December 9, 2024 in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

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With the arrest of Luigi Mangione, police have arrested a person involved in the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, although many questions remain unanswered.

Mangione, 26, was arrested in Pennsylvania with a ghost gun that police believe was used in the murder, as well as a fake ID and a handwritten three-page document detailing his motivation. New York Police Chief Detective Joseph Kenny said the document in Mangione’s possession showed a certain “antipathy toward corporate America.”

Mangione was charged with firearms and forgery in Pennsylvania on Monday night and is expected to face additional charges in New York.

Mangione has left a digital trail on his life and personality, which may have surprised many of those who had speculated for days about the possible motives – and origins – of the person accused of shooting Brian Thompson.

The shooting sparked an outpouring of populist anger across the country over the U.S. health care system and the role that for-profit companies, including Thompson’s, play in its dysfunctions. But Mangione, who appears to come from a wealthy and privileged background, would be less likely than many Americans to be at the economic mercy of this system.

According to his social media accounts, he was an Ivy League-educated engineer interested in philosophy, wellness, and the masculinity-focused self-help advice of gurus, including Andrew Huberman, a controversial podcaster.

It has been widely reported that Mangione grew up in a successful Baltimore family that owns two country clubs and was valedictorian of Gilman School, a private, boys-only elementary and secondary school.

He then attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science in 2020, according to his LinkedIn page. While at Penn, Mangione founded a game development club that grew to over 50 members, according to the student newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian.

According to his LinkedIn page, Mangione most recently worked as a data engineer at TrueCar. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Goodreads account in his name left a positive review for the writings of Theodore Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, whose targets included a United Airlines president.