The man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York last week likely saw his actions as heroic, according to police.
An internal memo obtained by The New York Times revealed that Luigi Mangione, 26, viewed Thompson’s murder as a symbolic act against corruption in the healthcare industry. The memo also expressed concerns about Mangione potentially being glorified as a martyr.
Mangione was quoted as saying, “Frankly these parasites simply had it coming,” in a manifesto discovered in his possession during his arrest on Monday, according to the memo.
READ: Who Is Luigi Mangione? The Ivy League Grad Accused of Killing UHC CEO Brian Thompson
When officers arrived at a McDonald’s in Altoona, they found Mangione wearing a medical mask and sitting alone with a backpack and laptop, as reported by The New York Times. It was alleged that he initially attempted to provide a fake ID card before revealing his true identity as Mangione.
Cops were dispatched to the McDonald’s by an employee who believed he resembled widely publicized photos of Thompson’s alleged killer.
Shortly after Mangione’s arrest, New York officials held a press coverage in which they hinted at the motive in Thompson’s murder. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione, a data engineer with a master’s from the University of Pennsylvania, “has some ill will towards corporate America.” However, they declined to reveal a specific motive.
In addition to allegedly having a gun with a silencer and fake IDs, Mangione reportedly also had a two-page manifesto that denounced the healthcare industry and encouraged violence against it.
Mangione was born in Maryland and his last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has no prior arrests in New York, per officials.
Mangione is charged with firearm offenses in Pennsylvania. He was formally charged with Thompson’s death on Tuesday.
[Feature Photo: Handout]
