The arrest of Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has left family, friends, and former associates overcome with disbelief and shock. Mangione, apprehended at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania on Monday after a nationwide manhunt, has been charged in New York with second-degree murder. Authorities have described the incident as a targeted, premeditated attack.
Family’s Reaction
“Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement per abcNEWS. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.”
The family added, “We are devastated by this news.”
Former School Expresses Distress
The Gilman School, a private institution in Baltimore where Mangione graduated as valedictorian in 2016, issued a statement calling his suspected involvement “deeply distressing news on top of an already awful situation.”
“Our hearts go out to everyone affected. Here on campus, our focus will remain on caring for and educating our students,” the school noted.
Friends Struggle to Reconcile the News
Freddie Leatherbury, a high school friend, described the news as “surreal.”
“I’ve still been in a little state of disbelief that this kid that I knew from high school eight years ago is now the most high-profile killer, allegedly, in the country,” Leatherbury told ABC News. He said he initially thought a friend was joking about Mangione’s arrest.
“The person that I knew eight years ago and the person that he has allegedly become today could not be more different,” he remarked. “I would never have anything bad to say about him.”
Leatherbury remembered Mangione as “the nicest kid you’ve ever met” and “really driven,” adding, “He just had everything going for him.”
Another Gilman classmate shared similar sentiments, calling Mangione “the last person I expected to be involved in something like this.”
“He always came off as a really good kid, very nice, very humble, open to talk to anyone,” the classmate said. “Just a bright kid with a bright future, is kind of what I thought.”
The classmate also revealed that Mangione’s family had been inquiring about his whereabouts about six months ago.
“I heard that he got back surgery, so we were all a little worried, and many people reached out to him. No response,” the classmate explained. “I didn’t hear anything about him until today, when all the news dropped. Huge shock, definitely.”
Former Roommate Reacts
R.J. Martin, Mangione’s former roommate in Honolulu, expressed shock at the allegations.
“It’s unimaginable,” Martin told KITV. “Never once talked about guns; never once talked about violence. He was absolutely a not-violent person, as far as I could tell.”
Martin noted that Mangione had undergone back surgery following a surfing injury but said their conversations mostly revolved around general topics like health care, housing, and food systems. “It wasn’t like he had an ax to grind,” he said.
Evidence and Charges
When Mangione was arrested, police found handwritten notes on him expressing “disdain for corporate America” and frustration with the U.S. healthcare system, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny. The writings indicated that Mangione viewed the killing of Thompson as a “symbolic takedown” of UnitedHealthcare over perceived corruption, a confidential NYPD intelligence bureau assessment revealed.
Mangione faces additional charges, including possession of a loaded firearm, forgery, and criminal possession of a weapon in New York, as well as firearm and forgery-related charges in Pennsylvania. He remains in custody in Pennsylvania, where he is challenging extradition to New York.
Legal Defense
Thomas Dickey, Mangione’s defence attorney in Pennsylvania, stated that his client is exercising his constitutional right to contest extradition.
“He has constitutional rights, and that’s what he’s doing,” Dickey said. “If you believe in America and that presumption of innocence, you can’t rush to judgement.”
Dickey added that while Mangione is accused of “serious matters,” his client is “taking it as well as he can.” He anticipates that Mangione will plead not guilty to all charges.
Authorities continue to investigate the case, with no confirmed personal connection between Mangione and UnitedHealthcare, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
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