WASHINGTON (AFP) – On paper, Luigi Mangione had it all: wealth, intellect, athleticism, good looks. But the child of a prominent Maryland family may have spurned it all in a spasm of violence, in a killing that has mesmerised Americans.
The 26-year-old was arrested Monday and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, a health insurance chief executive and father of two who was gunned down in Manhattan last week by someone who, evidence suggests, has endured his own debilitating health crises and grew angry with the privatised US medical system.
The cold-blooded killing has laid bare the deep frustration many Americans feel toward the country’s labyrinthine health care system: while many have condemned the shooting, others have praised Mangione as a hero.
It has also prompted considerable interest in how a young engineer with an Ivy League education could have gone off the rails to commit murder.
News of his capture at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s triggered an explosion of online activity, with Mangione quickly amassing new followers on social media as citizen sleuths and US media tried to understand who he is.
As Americans have looked for clues about a political ideology or potential motive, a photo on his X account (formerly Twitter) includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine.
Mangione lived in Hawaii in 2022 and, according to his former roommate R.J. Martin, suffered from back pain, and was hoping to strengthen his back.
After a surfing lesson, Mangione was “in bed for about a week” because of the pain, Martin told CNN.
Earlier this year, Martin said, Mangione confirmed he’d had back surgery and sent him photos of the X-rays.
Police said the suspect carried a hand-written manifesto of grievances in which he slammed America’s “most expensive health care system in the world.”
“He was writing a lot about his disdain for corporate America and in particular the health care industry,” New York police chief detective Joseph Kenny told ABC.
According to CNN, a document recovered when Mangione was arrested included the phrase “these parasites had it coming.”
Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the “Mario Bros.” video game character Luigi.
Many expressed at least partial sympathy, having had their own harrowing experiences with the US health care system.
“Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you,” wrote one user on Facebook.
