The world was stunned last Wednesday when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was brutally murdered on the streets of Manhattan at 6:45 am. Chilling surveillance footage showed a masked gunman opening fire on him from behind before fleeing the scene.

A manhunt quickly ensued that lasted for five days. On Monday, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione was arrested for Thompson’s murder after being spotted at a McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania.

Now, investigators are trying to figure out why exactly Mangione decided to murder Thompson. Chilling new details about the University of Pennsylvania’s potential motivations have since come to light.

From The Sun:
Those looking into the 26-year-old murder suspect have now claimed this serious back injury led to a worrying spiral in the last 12 months. Mangione was reportedly suffering from spondylolisthesis – an issue with the vertebra – and was given four screws placed deep into his spine to help with the pain.

Former classmates of Mangione have appeared to tell reporters that the surgery went wrong and that this could have driven the Maryland man to the brink. One source, quoting the former classmates, said they felt the wealthy former valedictorian turned “absolutely crazy” after the operation.

They believe that following the ordeal, “everything changed” in his life, leading to him becoming a murder suspect.

Mangione’s GoodReads history supports this theory, as it shows multiple books about dealing with back pain. His spinal injuries are said to have been caused by a surfing accident in Honolulu, Hawaii. This is the last city that Mangione was believed to have been living in.

“His spine was kind of misaligned,” said RJ Martin, founder of Surfbreak in Honolulu. “He said his lower vertebrae were almost like a half-inch off, and I think it pinched a nerve. Sometimes he’d be doing well and other times not.”

Martin, who shared a room with Mangione, went on to say that the suspected gunman’s back issues were so bad that it rendered him unable to even have sex.

“He knew that dating and being physically intimate with his back condition wasn’t possible,” he said.

Mangione is also believed to have abruptly stopped contact with his friends and family six months ago. Upon arresting Mangione on Monday, police found a chilling manifesto in his possession.

“These parasites had it coming,” the manifesto read. “I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done.”

Mangione And Thompson’s Respective Histories 

Mangione was born to a wealthy family and raised in Maryland. He attended the all-boys Gilman School in Baltimore, which costs $40,000 per year in tuition. After graduating as the valedictorian of his class, Mangione attended the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated cum laude from this Ivy League school with a degree in Computer and Information Science. Mangione also obtained a Masters degree from this institution. 

Mangione then moved to California, where he worked as a data engineer at a car company. It’s unclear exactly when he moved to Hawaii.

As for Mangione’s victim, Brian Thompson was 50 years old at the time of his death. He was named as chief executive officer at UnitedHealthcare in 2021 after 17 years with the insurance company. At the time of his promotion, Thompson was praised for his “experience, relationships and values.”

Thompson was born and raised in Iowa, and he lived in Minnesota at the time of his death. Despite having a 2023 salary of more than $10 million, Thompson was known to keep a low profile. Thompson had been in New York City last week for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Thompson’s loved ones at this time.

Key Takeaways: 

• Luigi Mangione was arrested for killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
• Mangione allegedly went “absolutely crazy” after surgery on his back went wrong.
• Mangione’s manifesto stated that “these parasites had it coming.”

Sources: The Sun, The New York Daily News