What we know about Luigi Mangione, the suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing

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In this handout photo released by the Altoona Police Department, Luigi Mangione is seen in a holding cell after being taken into custody on Dec. 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pa. / Getty Images

With the arrest of Luigi Mangione, police have apprehended and charged a suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, though many questions remain unanswered.

Late Monday night, Manhattan prosecutors filed murder and other charges against Luigi Mangione. Earlier in the evening, Mangione was arraigned on firearms and forgery charges in Pennsylvania.

The 26-year-old Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania with a ghost gun that police believe was used in the killing, as well as a fake ID and a handwritten, three-page document indicating his motivation. New York Police Department Chief Detective Joseph Kenny said the document in Mangione's possession indicated some "ill will toward corporate America."

Mangione has left a digital trail about his life and personality, which may have surprised many of those who had spent days speculating about the possible motives — and origins — of the person accused of gunning down Brian Thompson.

The shooting sparked a national outpouring of populist fury about the U.S. health system and the role that for-profit companies, including Thompson's, play in its dysfunctions. But Mangione, who appears to come from a wealthy and privileged background, would be less likely than many Americans to be at the economic mercy of that system.

He was, according to his social media accounts, an Ivy League-educated tech worker who was interested in philosophy, wellness and the masculinity-focused self-help advice of gurus including Andrew Huberman, a controversial podcaster.

It's been widely reported that Mangione grew up in a successful Baltimore family, which owns two country clubs, and became the valedictorian of the Gilman School, a private all-boys elementary and secondary school.

He then attended the University of Pennsylvania, and graduated in 2020 with bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science, according to his LinkedIn page. While at Penn, Mangione founded a game development club that grew to include over 50 members, as reported by the student newspaper the Daily Pennsylvanian.

Mangione most recently worked as a data engineer at TrueCar, according to his LinkedIn page. A spokesperson for the company said via email that Mangione "has not been an employee of our company since 2023."

A Goodreads account in his name left a positive review for the writings of Theodore Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, whose targets included a president of United Airlines.