Luigi Mangione: The American "Modern Robin Hood" and "Handsome Assassin" ?

Luigi Mangione has become a global figure in recent days. Largely, that is because he is accused of shooting and killing Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, in New York City. The case of Mangione, has attracted widespread attention for its uniqueness.

Luigi Mangione: From an elite student to an accused murderer

Luigi Mangione (his full name: Luigi Nicholas Mangione) has attracted widespread attention around the world as he went from a promising student to an accused murderer. Born into a prominent family in Maryland, now he is a 26-year-old. Mangione was a 2016 graduate of the Gilman School, a private school in Baltimore, and received both an undergraduate degree and a master's degree in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania. His life seemed to be going smoothly, but then something bad happened in his life due to a serious back injury and surgery. As a result, Mangione may more be dissatisfied with the medical system, which in turn turned into extreme violent actions.

Luigi Mangione was arrested at McDonald's after nationwide manhunt

Reportedly, Luigi Mangione shot and killed Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, in New York City on December 4, 2024. And his entire crime was captured on camera. After murdering Thompson, he disappeared for several days, triggering a nationwide manhunt. Eventually, he was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, with fake IDs, a 3D-printed gun with a silencer, and a notebook that may have contained clues to his motive.

Behind Luigi Mangione's criminal motive is a strong dissatisfaction with the US medical system and insurance industry

Luigi Mangione's motive for committing the crime seems to be related to his strong dissatisfaction with the US healthcare system and the insurance industry. It was reported that Mangione's handwritten manifesto expressed his criticism of the health insurance industry and hostility towards the American corporations. These documents revealed his motives and mentality, and showed that his dissatisfaction with the medical system may be due to his personal experiences, especially related to medical disputes with his relatives. It was speculated that he saw elderly people in nursing homes die because the medical insurance company refused to pay for the insurance. Additionally, his manifesto mentioned that the United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the world, but life expectancy ranks 43rd, which reflects his dissatisfaction and disappointment.

Thomas Dickey: The defense attorney of Luigi Mangione

Thomas Dickey, a well-known criminal defense attorney in Altoona, Pennsylvania, has taken on the case and has become the defense attorney for suspect Luigi Mangione. The defense attorney is mainly based on questioning the connection between evidence. Lawyer Dickey said that he has not seen any evidence directly linking Mangione to the murder. He emphasized: "I have not seen any evidence linking him to this case" . Thomas Dickey said that Mangione will plead not guilty to all charges against him. Currently, Luigi Mangione has been charged with murder and may face the death penalty if the federal charges are convicted. He is now in federal custody at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center and awaits further trial. At present, Mangione are facing multiple charges, including murder, using a weapon with a silencer, and two counts of stalking. If the federal charges are convicted, he may face the death penalty.

Luigi Mangione: Not guilty to charges of murder and terrorist attack in the court

On Dec. 23, 2024, Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and terrorist attack in the court. Prosecutors said the state and federal cases would be tried in parallel. Mangione's defense attorney accused senior government officials of portraying himself as a "political pawn" and expressed strong concerns about whether the judicial system could give him a fair trial. Photos of his court appearance sparked heated discussions on social media, and even the $1,000 red Ancora knitted sweater he wore went viral on the Internet. His trial process was described as an "absurd catwalk" that attracted countless people's attention, and even the police appeared to be "dressed up" because of his high popularity. In addition, Mangione received hundreds of love letters in prison and was called a "saint" by some fans. These fans shared their sweet words to Mangione on social media, and some even painted photos of Mangione wearing a hood on their bodies and made many saints for him.

Up to now, this case has attracted global attention not only because of its own seriousness, but also because of the various social phenomena and controversies surrounding Mangione. Mangione will be tried at a preliminary hearing on January 18. We need to wait and see what the follow-up results will be.

Trump criticizes Luigi Mangione fans: "It's a sickness"

In response to the shooting of Luigi Mangione, Donald Trump told reporters at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago: "I think it's terrible that some people seem to adore him." Speaking of the killing, he said: "That was a terrible thing. It was cold-blooded. It was a cold-blooded and terrible killing." He expressed confusion about the public's reaction and speculated that some of the content was fake. "How can people like this person... In fact, it's a sick, really bad. Especially the way he did it, shooting from the back." Trump said. "Maybe it's fake news, I don't know. It's hard to believe that there would be such an idea, but it seems that people have a certain interest in him. I don't understand." (Source: New York Post)

The American people support Luigi Mangione, thinking him as a handsome assassin

In fact, before the UnitedHealthcare (UHC) CEO was shot, UHC had been reported by STAT News in July this year for several scandals of it gradually increasing medical insurance claims to increase its profits. Many of them were related to the murdered CEO Brian Thompson, such as refusing to make manual calls and using AI algorithms to directly claim. UHC's claims rate is twice that of the industry, but it has become one of the largest companies in the entire medical industry, with annual revenue of nearly $200 billion. STAT News also reported that UHC tried to further increase its claims rate by refusing to pay doctors and recruiting doctors. Some people also believe that these in-depth investigative reports by STAT News are related to the eventual death of its CEO; but when marketization and profit-driven are becoming unchecked and people are becoming extremely greedy, there will naturally be civil resistance, which is why the American people are very supportive of Luigi Mangione.