Nearly two weeks have passed since the New York Police Department detained a suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's targeted shooting – the 26-year-old University of Pennsylvania graduate Luigi Mangione. 

This background detail hardly matters now, because in these mere two weeks, Mangione practically became a celebrity. The high school valedictorian was arrested carrying a 3D-printed pistol and silencer, along with a document expressing hostility toward corporate America and its healthcare system – which turned people's initial shock into an instant idolization. 

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It seems the first contributing factor to Mangione's glory across social media was his good looks. Despite his charge of first-degree murder, his shirtless pictures on social media have had a more prominent influence on public opinion. Across Instagram and TikTok, thousands are fantasizing about the "steamy" murder suspect – at this rate, they might as well hang his posters on their bedroom walls like some "Seventeen Magazine" idol.

"Mrs. Luigi Mangione," one video's caption read, while another set a collage of Mangione's photos to Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You," keeping with the holiday spirit.

If you thought it couldn't get more disturbing, think again. Following the initial infatuation, Americans started viewing Mangione as more than a heartthrob, but as a local hero. Not only did he gain 100K followers across his social media platforms, but protests were held in his favor, claiming his motives were just, therefore the murder was too. 

The hashtag #FreeLuigi immediately emerged and became trending, and Mangione's "act of bravery" was even compared to the plot of the musical "Chicago" (is the irony not palpable?). "Luigi freed us," one banner read at a protest supporting Mangione, alongside others reading "murder for profit is terrorism," "health insurance practices terrorize people," comparing his terrorism charges with the private health insurer's conduct. 

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Doesn't this trend sound awfully familiar? Protesting in support of someone charged with an act of terrorism and murder, justifying these actions for a supposed "noble cause" achieved by "all means necessary"? You guessed it – the worldwide pro-Hamas, volatile protests we've witnessed this past year, and the "Free Luigi" movement stem from the same production house.

The scariest aspect of this trend is the people behind it – they are America's educated class, with many holding degrees from Ivy League institutions, coming from privileged backgrounds, representing the liberal younger generation. This is America's future – the very people who should be able to distinguish between right and wrong, who should have developed a robust moral compass.

Don't get me wrong, the American healthcare system has a lot of room for improvement, to say the least. It has subjected Americans to endless difficulties, despair, and pain, denying them their fundamental right to maintain a healthy life – a right that comes with an exorbitant price tag.

The same goes for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or worldwide crises – there is a long way to go for suffering to end. Yet the protest wave America is witnessing doesn't advocate for any of those causes, but for murder – as a legitimate tool to achieve a goal or deliver a message. 

Injustice, especially when you feel powerless against it, can generate frustration that clouds judgment, leading some to believe vigilante justice might serve the greater good. It won't. The campus protests this year have yielded nothing but rising antisemitism, vandalism, and violence. Now, social media users openly joke about other CEOs meeting Thompson's fate.

Laws, even those desperately needing revision, exist for a reason. Imagine the bloodbath awaiting a society that glorifies murder as a tool for change. Now imagine what these passionate crowds could achieve if they channeled their energy – both online and in the streets – into finding real solutions.

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Luigi Mangione, the man charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, spent years documenting his struggles with various health conditions and expressing growing frustration with medical providers before the fatal shooting, The Wall Street Journal reported.

In extensive social media posts reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Mangione detailed his battles with chronic pain, sleep disorders, and cognitive issues, frequently seeking advice from online communities about conditions including brain fog and back pain.

Before his arrest this month, Mangione maintained an active presence on Reddit, where he discussed topics ranging from Pokémon Go to bioinformatics. By 2018, his focus shifted notably to health concerns, particularly posts about irritable bowel syndrome and visual snow, a neurological condition causing visual disturbances.

During his time at the University of Pennsylvania, Mangione frequently wrote about his deteriorating health. He attributed the onset of his cognitive issues to a period of sleep deprivation during fraternity initiation, writing, "I simply wasn't able to recover from a week of disturbed sleep. It's absolutely brutal to have such a life-halting issue."

Despite his health challenges, Mangione achieved academic success, completing both bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science at Penn in 2020 and earning induction into an academic honor society. A former classmate interviewed said he never heard Mangione mention his health struggles.

By early 2022, while living in Hawaii and working remotely as a data engineer, Mangione reported that a surfing accident had worsened his spondylolisthesis, a spinal condition. His posts detailed increasing physical symptoms, including nerve pain and muscle twitching.

Dr. Padma Gulur, a pain medicine specialist at Duke Health who was not involved in Mangione's care, explained that chronic pain can significantly impact both mental health and social connections. "It can be very disruptive," she told The Wall Street Journal.

After undergoing spinal fusion surgery in July 2023, Mangione initially reported positive results. "At day eight I was taking zero pain meds and haven't had a bad day since," he posted in October 2023.

"We live in a capitalist society," Mangione wrote on Reddit in an April post suggesting that people tell doctors they are "unable to work" to get spine surgery approval. "I've found that the medical industry responds to these keywords far more urgently than you describing unbearable pain and how it's impacting your quality of life," he wrote.

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Luigi Mangione, 26, who is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Officer Brian Thompson, was arrested Monday after a customer spotted him at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles from Manhattan. Police said they found Mangione sitting alone at a table with a laptop at 9:15 a.m., wearing a medical mask, brown beanie, and dark jacket. An image shared on social media by the Pennsylvania State Police showed Mangione with a blue mask dangling from his ear as he ate a hash brown.

New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said a "combination of old-school detective work and new-age technology" led to the capture. Police had circulated various images of Mangione nationally during their five-day search, including surveillance footage from a Manhattan Starbucks before the shooting and a shot showing him smiling at an Upper West Side hostel. The suspect, a high school valedictorian and Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Baltimore family, was tracked to Pennsylvania after allegedly killing Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel where an investors' conference was being held.

According to CNN, Altoona Police Officer Tyler Frye and his partner found Mangione at the McDonald's on East Plank Road off Interstate 99 after an employee called to report a suspicious person. According to the criminal complaint, when officers asked Mangione to remove his mask, he first presented a New Jersey ID with the name Mark Rosario. The suspect "became quiet and started to shake" when asked about recent travel to New York City, eventually admitting his real identity, CNN reported.

According to documents obtained by ABC News, Mangione was carrying writings expressing "disdain for corporate America" and frustration with the US healthcare system. In writings addressed to the "Feds," he wrote: "I do apologize for any strife of traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming." Mangione claimed that while UnitedHealthcare "has grown and grown," America's healthcare system remains expensive while ranking "about No. 42 in life expectancy."

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Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested Monday at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan, CNN reported. Police said he was carrying a 3D-printed pistol and silencer, along with a document expressing hostility toward corporate America.

The suspect's background presents a stark contrast to the allegations. A valedictorian at Baltimore's prestigious Gilman School, Mangione earned master's and bachelor's degrees in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020. He came from a wealthy Baltimore family known for their real estate empire and philanthropic work, leaving friends and family shocked by his arrest.

During the summer, his friends noticed his social media presence went silent, prompting worried messages. "Nobody has heard from you in months, and apparently your family is looking for you," one user posted on X in October, according to CNN.

Earlier this year, Mangione had posted a review of the Unabomber manifesto, calling it "prescient" while acknowledging its author was "rightfully imprisoned." He also shared comments describing political violence as "war and revolution."

In a statement released through State Delegate Nino Mangione's office, the family said they were "shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest" and offered prayers to Thompson's family.

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UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Officer Brian Thompson was fatally shot outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning in what authorities believe was a targeted attack, according to a person familiar with the matter, report CNBC.

Thompson, 50, who led the nation's largest private health insurer, was shot in front of 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Emergency medical services rushed him to Mount Sinai West Hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest, where he was later pronounced dead, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).

Thompson's wife, Paulette Thompson, said that her husband had received threats related to insurance coverage issues, though she was not aware of specific details. Despite these threats, she said he maintained his regular travel schedule. "I can't really give a thoughtful response right now," she said. "I just found this out and I'm trying to console my children."

The suspect, described as a white male, allegedly used a firearm with a silencer and was wearing a black hoodie, black pants, black sneakers with white trim, and a gray backpack. NYPD is offering up to $10,000 reward to anyone who can give meaningful information regarding the homicide.

The shooting occurred just hours before UnitedHealth Group's scheduled investor day at the Hilton, which was subsequently canceled. Chief Executive Officer Andrew Witty addressed the situation briefly before ending the event.

"I'm afraid that we – some of you may know we're dealing with very serious medical situation with one of our team members," Witty said during the investor day. "And as a result, I'm afraid we're going to have to bring to a close the event today, which I'm sure you'll understand."

Thompson, a resident of Maple Grove, Minnesota, had worked at UnitedHealth for over 20 years, joining in April 2004 after nearly seven years at PwC. He became CEO of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021 after leading the insurance unit's government programs. A graduate of the University of Iowa, where he was valedictorian, Thompson is survived by his wife and two children.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the killing "horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community" in a post on X.

UnitedHealth Group, with its roughly $563 billion market cap, is the largest healthcare conglomerate in the United States by revenue. UnitedHealthcare, under Thompson's leadership, generated more than $281 billion in revenue last year, representing over two-thirds of UnitedHealth Group's annual revenue for 2023.

The company is currently dealing with the aftermath of a February ransomware attack on its subsidiary, Change Healthcare, which compromised the protected health information of at least 100 million people.

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