Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old alleged assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was captured while eating hashbrowns in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s on Monday after a customer recognized him, ending a six-day manhunt.
Mangione, the scion of a prosperous Maryland family who had an Ivy League education, appeared motivated to murder Thompson by frustration with the American medical system. Posts on social media show that he suffered from chronic back pain, and he had withdrawn from friends and family over the past year.
Mangione faces five felony counts in what one expert described as a “super strong” case against him.
Despite the cold-blooded nature of the murder — Thompson is survived by a widow and two children — Mangione has been hailed a folk hero by many on social media, reflecting and crystalizing widespread anger with health insurers who profit while denying care to the ill.
It remains to be seen whether this moment of anger will lead to political calls for reforms to protect patients, but it has led to increased security for CEOs.