Killing of Brian Thompson

Killing of Brian Thompson
Still image from CCTV footage of the shooting
Location of the killing
Location	Outside the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City, U.S.
Coordinates	40°45′46.2″N 73°58′47.1″W
Date	December 4, 2024 (2024-12-04) 6:45 am (EST)
Target	Brian Thompson
Attack type	Shooting
Weapon	Suppressed 9×19mm pistol
Motive	Retaliation against UnitedHealthcare, the U.S. health insurance industry, and corporate greed
Accused	Luigi Nicholas Mangione
Charges	Second-degree murder Carrying a gun without a license Forgery False identification to law enforcement Possession of an instrument of crime

Brian Thompson, CEO of the American UnitedHealthcare company since 2021, was shot and killed outside an entrance to the New York Hilton Midtown hotel in Manhattan, New York City, on December 4, 2024. Thompson was in the city to attend an annual investors' meeting for UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare. He had been criticized for UnitedHealthcare's rejection of insurance claims, and his family reported that he had received death threats in the past. The shooting occurred early in the morning, and the suspect, initially described as a white man wearing a mask, fled the scene. A suspect, Luigi Mangione, was arrested five days later and charged with the crime.

Thompson's death received reactions of online contempt and mockery from many Americans towards him and UnitedHealth Group. More broadly, many Americans criticized the U.S. healthcare system. Many social media users characterized the killing as deserved or justified; these attitudes relate to anger over UnitedHealth's business practices and those of the United States health insurance industry at large – primarily their strategies to deny coverage to clients. In particular, Thompson's death was compared to the harm or death experienced by clients who were denied healthcare.

Luigi Mangione, age 26, was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9, 2024, and charged with Thompson's murder in a Manhattan court the same day. Authorities said Mangione was carrying a 3D-printed pistol and a 3D-printed suppressor consistent with those used in the attack, as well as handwritten notes characterized as a manifesto criticizing America’s healthcare system, a U.S. passport, and multiple fraudulent IDs, including one with the same name the alleged shooter used to check into a hostel in Manhattan. They also said his fingerprints matched those that investigators found near the New York shooting scene. Mangione was held without bail in Pennsylvania on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Mangione also has an arrest warrant with five felony counts in New York including second-degree murder. Mangione's lawyer said he will plead not guilty to the charges. Police believe that he was inspired by Ted Kaczynski's essay Industrial Society and Its Future; Mangione wrote that he considered the essay prescient in a Goodreads review.

Background

Thompson and UnitedHealthcare

Thompson was the chief executive officer (CEO) of UnitedHealthcare, the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, from April 2021 until his death. His widow, Paulette, told NBC News that her husband received threats related to a "lack of [insurance] coverage".

Claim denial rates by insurance company, as of December 5, 2024

UnitedHealthcare insures 49 million Americans and had $281 billion in revenue for the 2023 fiscal year. In 2021, Thompson was criticized in an open letter from the American Hospital Association due to a UnitedHealthcare plan to start denying payment for what it deemed as non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms. UnitedHealthcare has been widely criticized for its handling of claims. It and other insurers were named in an October 2024 report from the United States Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations showing a surge in prior authorization denials for Medicare Advantage patients. Additionally under Thompson's leadership, UnitedHealthcare began using artificial intelligence (AI) to automate claim denials, resulting in patients being unable to access medical care.

Between 2020 and 2022, the rate at which post-acute care claims were denied more than doubled. A class action suit filed against UnitedHealth Group in November 2023 alleged the company knowingly employed an AI model that had a 90% error rate. In September 2024, a demonstration was held in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, outside the headquarters of UnitedHealth Group subsidiary and pharmacy services provider Optum, with protestors claiming Optum's business practices inflate medicine costs and force independent pharmacies out of business.

Suspected assailant's preparations

The suspect arrived in New York City on November 24, 2024, on a Greyhound bus. The bus route began in Atlanta, Georgia, but authorities do not know from which city or town he boarded. He checked into the HI New York City Hostel on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on November 24, 2024, with a falsified New Jersey identification card and paid in cash. He stayed all but one night of the 10 days he was in New York City at the hostel, checking out on December 3, 2024.

Killing

CCTV video of Thompson's killing

The New York Hilton Midtown hotel in 2012 (54th Street is at right)

Thompson was in New York City for an annual UnitedHealth Group investors meeting, having arrived in the city on December 2, 2024. On December 4, at around 6:45 a.m. EST (UTC−5), Thompson was walking along West 54th Street toward the New York Hilton Midtown hotel that was hosting the meeting. The assailant, dressed in a light-brown or cream-colored hoodie waited across the street from the hotel for several minutes, then crossed over when he saw Thompson. Standing approximately 20 feet (6 m) away from Thompson when he arrived at the entrance, the assailant fired three times at him from a suppressed 9 mm pistol, striking him in the back and right calf.

In the closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) recording of the killing, the shooter appears to manually cycle the gun action after each shot, leading observers to believe that his weapon was a malfunctioning semi-automatic pistol. On December 9, state police discovered a 3D-printed pistol and 3D-printed silencer in Mangione's bag that resembled the weapon in the video. Members of the 3D-printed gun subculture identified that gun as a particular iteration of the partially 3D-printed Glock-derived design FMDA 19.2, that had been released in 2021 by the libertarian group Deterrence Dispensed.

The killer fled the scene on an e-bike. According to the police, he left the city from the George Washington Bridge Bus Station. Thompson was taken to Mount Sinai West hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m.

Timeline

• November 24, 10:11 p.m.: An unknown suspect arrives in New York City on a Greyhound bus which originated in Atlanta, Georgia, and made up to seven stops en route.
• November 24: Suspect checks into the HI New York City Hostel on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
• November 24: Suspect cases the New York Hilton Midtown hotel.
• November 29: Suspect checks out of the HI New York City Hostel.
• November 30: Suspect checks back into the HI New York City Hostel.
• December 4:
  • 5:30 a.m.: Suspect leaves the hostel, thought to be by bike.
  • 6:15 a.m.: Suspect seen leaving the 57th Street F Train subway stop.
  • 6:17 a.m.: Suspect buys coffee, water, and granola bars at a Starbucks café (at 1380 6th Ave) two blocks away from the New York Hilton Midtown hotel, discarding the coffee cup and water bottle.
  • 6:30 a.m.: Surveillance footage captures the suspect walking while talking on the phone.
  • 6:39 a.m.: Suspect arrives in front of the New York Hilton Midtown hotel and waits for several minutes.
  • 6:40 a.m.: Thompson leaves the Marriott hotel (at 151 W 54th St) he stayed at the prior night, heading toward the New York Hilton Midtown hotel.
  • 6:44 a.m.: Thompson walks along the sidewalk toward the New York Hilton Midtown hotel and the assailant shoots him multiple times, racking his pistol after it appeared to jam; the suspect immediately flees northbound via a pedestrian walkway.
  • 6:46 a.m.: Police respond to a 911 call reporting that a person has been shot.
  • 6:48 a.m.: Officers arrive on scene and find Thompson with multiple gunshot wounds to his back and leg; he is taken to the hospital.
    Assailant is seen riding an e-bike north into Central Park.
  • 6:59 a.m.: A person appearing to be the suspect is seen riding a bike on West 85th St.
  • 7:04 a.m.: Suspect gets into a northbound taxi on 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
  • 7:12 a.m.: Thompson is declared dead at Mt. Sinai Hospital.
  • 7:30 a.m.: Suspect arrives at George Washington Bridge Bus Station.

Investigation

Evidence collected at the scene

Three fired cartridge cases alongside three unfired cartridges were found at the scene. The words "delay", "deny", and "depose" were written on the cases. "Depose" was inscribed on a casing from a round fired into Thompson, while "delay" was marked on an unfired cartridge ejected as the shooter racked the pistol, possibly to clear a jam or intentionally discard the live round. The three words are similar to the phrase "delay, deny, defend", a well-known phrase in the insurance industry alluding to insurance companies' efforts to not pay out claims. Accordingly, police stated they are investigating whether the words suggest the killer's motive. Delay, Deny, Defend is a 2010 book by Jay M. Feinman, a retired Rutgers Law School professor, in which he critiques the property and casualty insurance industries.

Apart from the ammunition casings, a water bottle, candy wrapper, and a phone were recovered from the scene and are believed to be connected to the shooter. On December 6, 2024, police said they believed they found the shooter's backpack in Central Park. The backpack contained a Tommy Hilfiger jacket and Monopoly money.

Search for the suspect

On December 4, 2024, the New York Police Department offered a reward up to $10,000 for information about the shooter. The following day, authorities released images of a suspect taken by surveillance cameras at the hostel and a Starbucks café. Two stills show the suspect's face including one with him smiling widely at a female desk attendant at the hostel. It is reported that the suspect took his mask off after flirting with the attendant. In addition to the $10,000 reward offered by the NYPD, the FBI joined the investigation and offered up to a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

The shooter was described by police as a white man, approximately 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) tall, wearing a light brown or cream-colored hooded jacket, dark pants, and black sneakers with white soles. He had a gray backpack and concealed his face with a black face mask. Police said the suspect appeared to be proficient in the use of firearms and was described as being "extremely camera savvy."

Suspect

Arrest and charges

Local police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, arrested Luigi Nicholas Mangione (born May 6, 1998) on December 9, 2024, at a McDonald's restaurant, after a McDonald's employee called police after the suspect was recognized from images released by the NYPD. Altoona is about 280 miles (450 km) west of New York City. Mangione was reportedly carrying a 3D-printed gun and 3D-printed suppressor similar to the one used in the shooting, and a falsified New Jersey auto driver license with the same name as the one used by the alleged shooter to check into the Manhattan hostel. The police also said when they arrested Mangione they found a three-page, 262-word handwritten document about the American healthcare system, which they characterized as a manifesto.

Mangione was charged in Blair County, Pennsylvania, for carrying a gun without a license, forgery, falsely identifying himself to the authorities, and possessing "instruments of crime" on December 9, 2024. He was arraigned at around 6 p.m. at the Blair County Courthouse and was denied bail. By the end of the day, he was charged in Manhattan with second-degree murder, three counts of illegal weapons possession, and forgery. He was again denied bail on December 10, 2024, and remained jailed in Pennsylvania after pledging to fight his planned extradition to New York.

Mangione graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) in computer engineering and a Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in computer and information science. He is from a Maryland-based real estate family.

Alleged manifesto

On December 10, 2024, journalist Ken Klippenstein published what he claimed to be the full text of Mangione’s alleged 262-word handwritten document, characterized in numerous reports as a manifesto. In the document, Mangione directly addressed federal law enforcement, stating he acted alone and that his methods involved "elementary social engineering, basic CAD, [and] a lot of patience". He referenced a spiral notebook containing notes and to-do lists, mentioned his tech was "locked down" due to his engineering work, and apologized for causing "strife or traumas" while insisting it had to be done.

The note characterized healthcare executives as parasites who "had it coming" and criticized the U.S. healthcare system, noting that despite being the most expensive in the world, America ranked roughly 42nd in life expectancy. It specifically mentioned UnitedHealth's market capitalization, describing it as one of the largest U.S. companies behind only Apple, Google, and Walmart. Mangione argued that while many individuals had illuminated the corruption and greed within the American healthcare system decades ago, the problems have continued to persist. He wrote that it was "not an issue of awareness at this point, but clearly power games at play," concluding by describing himself as "the first to face it with such brutal honesty".

Motive and other views

Police believe that he was inspired by Ted Kaczynski's Industrial Society and its Future. Police also believe the motive was related to an injury that Mangione had suffered that caused him to visit the emergency room in July 2023. Mangione had spondylolisthesis, a lower back condition.

Mangione's account posted a Goodreads review of Industrial Society and Its Future, describing Kaczynski as "rightfully imprisoned" and was critical of his use of violence against innocent individuals. The review (which gave the manifesto four out of five stars) also said that "'Violence never solved anything' is a statement uttered by cowards and predators" and that "when all other forms of communication fail, violence is necessary to survive." According to Business Insider, Mangione's social media posts showed apparent frustration with the medical field, skepticism of doctors, and supported the idea that "his worldview was influenced by reactionary right-wing thinkers".

Response

Public response

Many social media users expressed their contempt for Thompson, UnitedHealthcare, and the nation's health insurance system while praising the assailant for his actions. Within a week, Mangione had been hailed as a folk hero by many. Social media users shared personal stories of harm and death suffered as a result of claim denials, and joked about the killing with memes and gallows humor. Shortly after the event, two of the houses owned by Thompson's family were swatted. Anthony Zenkus, a senior lecturer in social work at Columbia University, said on social media: "Today, we mourn the death of ... Brian Thompson, gunned down ... wait I'm sorry—today we mourn the deaths of 68,000 Americans who needlessly die each year so that insurance company execs like Brian Thompson can become multimillionaires". One physician told The Daily Beast that they believed the perpetrator should be brought to justice, but they also stated that Thompson's role as CEO had led to a great amount of suffering and loss of life, which he described as "on the order of millions", adding that "[it is] hard for me to sympathize when so many people have suffered because of his company".

A popular comment on the r/nursing subreddit mocked Thompson's death by emulating a denial of coverage letter for Thompson's emergency care. The suspect received internet attention for his resemblance to actors Timothée Chalamet, Dave Franco and Jake Gyllenhaal. Prominent conservative commentators, like Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh, received online backlash from their viewership for condemning the criticism of Thompson and for portraying it as an exclusively leftist sentiment. The BBC reports that the lack of pity for Thompson expressed online "seemed to bridge the political divide". A McDonald's branch received backlash including review bombing after a customer and employee gave the police a tip leading to a suspect's arrest. A viral tweet about information which could help find the assassin received backlash, the poster being called a "snitch".

The Network Contagion Research Institute found that out of the top ten most-engaged-with posts on X that mention Thompson or UnitedHealth, six of the posts implicitly or explicitly supported the killing or criticized Thompson. Some highlighted comments called for further assassinations of CEOs and class war; a researcher at the institute said that the incident was framed as "some opening blow in a class war" and that praise for the killing came from across the political spectrum. After Thompson's death, UnitedHealthcare's parent company, UnitedHealth Group, published a statement on Facebook detailing the death and their official condolences. Though the post's comment section was deactivated, approximately 90,000 Facebook users responded to the post with a "Haha" (or "laughing") reaction with only 2,200 "Sad" reactions as of December 6. Items and merchandise in support of Mangione were posted on Etsy, Amazon and other e-commerce sites before being removed. Crowdsourcing fundraisers were also started by supporters of Mangione to cover his legal costs on GoFundMe, before being removed. A GiveSendGo fundraiser has remained live, and has raised over $30,000 as of December 11.

Zeynep Tufekci, professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University and New York Times columnist, said that the public reaction to Thompson's murder "should ring all the alarm bells" and resembled the reaction to the very high levels of corporate greed, exploitation, and economic inequality during the American Gilded Age, a period characterized by violent "political movements that targeted corporate titans, politicians, judges and others". Tufekci further wrote: "The concentration of extreme wealth in the United States has recently surpassed that of the Gilded Age. And the will among politicians to push for broad public solutions appears to have all but vanished. I fear that instead of an era of reform, the response to this act of violence and to the widespread rage it has ushered into view will be limited to another round of retreat by the wealthiest." Robert Pape, an expert in political violence at the University of Chicago, told The Guardian that the response of online commentators was indicative of Americans' growing acceptance of violence to settle civil disputes.

Dominic Pino of National Review argued that only a vocal minority supported Thompson's killing, citing surveys from Gallup, Pacific Research Institute and the Kaiser Family Foundation where a majority of the respondents stated that they were "satisfied" with their medical care and current insurance plan. David Kaczynski, the brother of the "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski, expressed concern over his late brother's apparent influence on Mangione, stating: "It really gives me a great deal of personal pain to think my brother's actions have in any way contributed to influencing a man like this to kill an innocent human being."

Healthcare corporations

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty defended the company's claim denial practices in an internal video which was leaked after the fatal shooting of Thompson. Recorded on December 5, the day after Thompson's death, Witty emphasized the company's role in ensuring "safe and appropriate" care and that the insurance giant will continue to prevent "unnecessary care".

UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and CVS Health, which operates Aetna, all removed photographs and other information about their executive leadership from their websites following Thompson's killing. Managed care provider Centene canceled their in person investor's day which had been scheduled for December 12, and instead planned a virtual conference. Additionally, the days following Thompson's death saw a surge in inquiries about protective services and security for CEOs and corporate executives, according to private security firm Allied Universal. Michael Sherman, the former chief medical officer at Point32Health, justified the concerns of health insurance executives, saying, "It doesn't seem paranoid to worry that someone who's had services denied that they may believe are important might be in an emotionally unstable state."

Referring to the online response to Thompson's death, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who runs the Chief Executive Leadership Institute, affiliated with Yale, said, "we've seen the frightening, uncanny conversion of angry and deranged people." One health insurance executive was quoted by the Financial Times as saying that threats against health insurance companies are common, and that "We'd have times when you'd deny proton laser therapy for a kid with seizures and the parent would freak out". Another executive was quoted as saying, "What's most disturbing is the ability of people to hide behind their keyboards and lose their humanity."

Politicians

In response to the killing, public officials including Minnesota governor Tim Walz and Senator Amy Klobuchar expressed dismay and offered condolences to the family. Walz said that he knew Thompson. Outgoing Democratic House representative Dean Phillips wrote that he was "horrified by the assassination of my constituent, Brian Thompson, this morning in NYC and have his family in my prayers." In regards to the murder, Maryland state delegate Nino Mangione, who is the cousin of Luigi Mangione, said, "Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved".

Commenting on Thompson's killing in an interview on ABC's This Week on December 8, 2024, Democratic House representative Ro Khanna said: "There is no justification for violence". He added that the public reaction to Thompson's killing did not surprise him because "We waste hundreds of billions a year on health care administrative expenses that make insurance CEOs and wealthy stockholders incredibly rich while 85 million Americans go uninsured or underinsured". On December 10, 2024, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said: "The visceral response from people across this country who feel cheated, ripped off, and threatened by the vile practices of their insurance companies should be a warning to everyone in the health care system. Violence is never the answer, but people can be pushed only so far."