The morning of December 4, 2024, the Chief Executive Officer of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was fatally shot outside a New York City hotel. He was at once rushed to hospital, where he was quickly declared dead.
His attacker had approached him from behind, masked, armed with a 3D-printed “ghost” gun with a silencer. The man had supposedly taken residence in a nearby hotel before committing the murder, which had, according to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch: “Every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack.”
The assailant quickly fled on bike into Central Park, where he was untraced.
In the search for the perpetrator, the police found no lack of suspects. “There had been some threats,” the victim’s widow (Paulette Thompson) said. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of [medical] coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
A $10,000 reward was offered by police, which fueled searches for five days before Luigi Mangione (26) was arrested in Pennsylvania. There, he was charged, according to NBC News New York, with “forgery and carrying a firearm without a license — and three misdemeanors: tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of crime and providing false identification to law enforcement.”
Mangione is a surprising suspect for this crime, as all he has shown to this point is a “good” life — that is, he was valedictorian of an elite high school, descent of a wealthy Maryland real estate family and earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania.
However, after leaving a Honolulu “co-living” space for back surgery, Mangione posted on an X account regarding health (eating well and the effects of smartphones on children) and philosophy (psychological theories and quotes), according to the Associated Press. It is thought that he encountered issues with medical coverage related to his operation.
Mangione was arrested and the police searched the backpack on his person, which resulted in the discovery of a 3D-printed pistol with a suppressor and a single loose bullet. The weapon underwent ballistic testing to verify if it was the one used in the Thompson murder, and the police concluded that the weapon found on Mangione’s person matched the shell casings at the crime scene.
Thomas Dickey, Mangion’s lawyer, said: “[Fingerprint and ballistic evidence], in and of themselves, have come under some criticism in the past, relative to their credibility, their truthfulness, their accuracy, however you want to do it.”
Arrested, Mangione was taken to extradition court in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, where he shouted to awaiting journalists: “This is an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience.” Mangione rests at Huntingdon State Correctional Institution, at the present writing.
Mangione is charged the New York state Supreme Court with two counts of second-degree murder, one of which is charged as a killing in the act of terrorism; two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon; four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon; one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon; and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, according to a statement from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
He was also indicted on a first-degree murder charge by a grand jury on Dec. 17, which enables Gov. Kathy Hochul to issue extradition orders so Mangione can stand trial in New York State, while labeling Mangione a terrorist.
The recent events have re-opened discussions about the United States healthcare system, some voices calling for a “free” system of healthcare, as seen in places like Europe, Canada and parts of Asia. A slim majority of interviewed HHS students (51.5%) report that they’ve had a poor experience with healthcare; while 73.8% report that they know someone who required serious healthcare.
But first, one must identify what “free” healthcare means. According to International Citizens Insurance: “‘Free’ healthcare isn’t actually free. Citizens usually fund healthcare that government agencies provide in one way or another. The country’s healthcare budget may come directly from their taxes or payroll taxes, which affect a citizen’s take-home pay.” Nevertheless, some still believe that the benefits of a system of free healthcare outweigh the apparent costs.
Whether or not any existing problems are rectified, it is clear that the permeation of violence lends itself to continued violence. For instance, Dec. 16, 2024, saw a school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, where a teacher and a student were killed, with six more taking injury and the shooter (a 15 year old female) killed by her own hand. This represents a troubling paradox: that violence (whether justified in the perpetrators’ eyes or not) leads only in a circle.
