Healthcare neglected, and a murder accepted

Feb 134 min read

By Mira Reddy Feb. 12, 2025

Living with Spondylolisthesis causes the vertebrae to slip out in the spine and enforce a lifelong weight on one’s lower back. The weight grows heavier until it affects relationships and physical functions, becoming unbearable to live with. As healthcare becomes more controversial in the US it is increasingly difficult to find the relief that a certain Luigi Mangione, a suspected murderer, needed to face the brunt of the condition. As of now, Mangione has been extradited to New York, where he allegedly committed a controversial second-degree murder of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the U.S.’s largest health insurer. He is situated in the Metropolitan Detention Center, with charges placed against him for possessing weapons, false personification to the police, and performing acts of terrorism.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in New York on Dec.4, 2024, while he was en route to attend a yearly investors meeting. Thompson was walking in front of a Hilton entrance unguarded where Mangione was presumed to have shot him fatally before fleeing the scene on an electric bicycle. Before the shooting, the company had been scrutinized by the public for its high costs and denial of insurance claims, despite its goal to make the health system “work better for everyone.”

Mangione came from a wealthy family that made its fortune in the real estate and nursing home businesses. He attended a private school in Baltimore, where he graduated as the valedictorian. Mangione is an Ivy League alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, pursuing a career in engineering, per ABC.

“Often, when I tell people I am from UPenn, the first thing they do is ask me if I know Luigi, even though most undergraduates do not know him since he graduated in 2020. There has been much more talk about Luigi on campus as well. The school even had a look-alike competition of who dressed the most similarly to him,” school alumnus Gilina Voon said.

The suspect of the homicide departed an arriving bus in New York on November 24, 2024. He is believed to have checked in and out of the HI New York City hostel on that same day, taking a six-day leave before returning and checking himself back in.

Soon after, the killer rode an electric bicycle to the Midtown Starbucks, where he purchased granola bars and a water bottle for himself. Lastly, he ventured by foot to his final location—the Hilton where Thomspon would soon walk past. When Thompson passed by, the killer shot him behind his back with an unserialized gun and abandoned the scene on the electric bicycle. He made his getaway on a bus to Pennsylvania after disembarking from the bicycle; continuing to Pittsburgh.

Mangione was located and taken into custody on Dec. 9, 2024, after being recognized at an Altoona, Pennsylvania McDonald’s by a customer. As the murder scene was analyzed, investigators found the infamous gun with bullet casings engraved with the phrase “deny”, "delay” and “depose”, a false ID that he allegedly used to check into a New York hostel and a written letter that claimed he was responsible for the crime.

Mangione’s suspected motive for the homicide is his frustration with the healthcare system, as “deny,” “delay” and “depose” are words that commonly describe the tactics insurers use to stop insurance claims. Legal experts have stated that he will likely appeal to jurors’ anger toward insurers in his trial due to the possibility of jury nullification— the tendency for a jury to avoid convicting a defendant on moral or ethical grounds despite extensive evidence to do otherwise. It is often seen in cases where an individual is found with illegal materials such as drugs or alcohol, and in

instances where a person commits homicide on a rapist. Mangione has currently pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Mangione has previously shared his experiences on Reddit about trying to find healthcare for spondylolisthesis, advising others struggling to seek support much earlier than he had. Since then, the general public has responded to his insight with support on social media, and fundraisers for Mangione’s legal fees have raised thousands of dollars.

Still, many view the assassination as unjustified, frustrated with the praise that Mangione continues to receive despite the death of Thompson. The complex opinions on the killing could have an impact on the verdict that Mangione

will receive from the jury, per Forbes.

“People should not be supporting an act like murder, even if they are united in their anger for the US healthcare system. Still, it indicates that change must happen as soon as possible to the people in power,” Junior Tara Sarhangnejad said.

Regardless of the outcome of the case, the murder of Thompson has raised awareness of failings in the US healthcare system. Although many actions have been attempted in the past to do so they have failed due to various obstacles in the nations that prevent indication of change. To the angry people of the US, it raises hope that healthcare will be addressed rather than ignored once again.

About the Contributors

Mira Reddy

staff writer

Mira Reddy is a freshman at Leland High School, a Staff writer, and a Media team member. This is her first year in journalism. She loves to swim, spend time with family and friends, read books, eat food, and watch Netflix.