The man charged with slaying UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shared his thoughts about Christianity in a recently unearthed social media post. Luigi Mangione is implicated in the high-profile murder of Thompson, who was gunned down in Midtown, Manhattan December 4th. The investigation into the killing is ongoing. The suspect’s family has long been an active part of the Catholic community.
On April 18th, he shared an article on X charting the decline of Christianity in the West. “Horror vacui (nature abhors a vacuum),” Mangione’s X post read. “relevant read, ‘Christianity’s decline has unleashed terrible new gods.‘ ” While the killer’s motives remain obtuse, internet users have been looking through his online presence for clues.
The Mangione family is prominent in Baltimore Catholic circles. Nicholas Mangione Sr., Navy veteran and real estate developer, used his self-made wealth to support a variety of charities. He served on the board of trustees at Loyola University Maryland and funded the Baltimore Opera Company. At Loyola, he helped purchase the St. John’s Bible, which is publicly displayed at the university.
Nino Mangione, Luigi’s cousin who serves as a republican delegate in Maryland, stated on Facebook “Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione. We only know what we have read in the media.” He went on to explain “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson, and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news.”
When he was arrested in Pennsylvania, Mangione was found with a weapon that appeared to match the footage of the shooting. He also had a fake ID and a manifesto criticizing the healthcare industry. Brian Thompson served as the UnitedHealthcare CEO from April 2021 until his murder. UnitedHealthcare is the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group and a major player in the healthcare market.
In this handwritten document, Mangione appears to take credit for the murder. It also offers an insight as to why he may killed Thompson. “To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone.” In the 262-page screed, he points out how companies like UnitedHealthcare “…abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allowed them to get away with it.”
Internet sleuths quickly found Mangione’s other writing. Luigi Mangione had a GoodReads account where he posted book reviews. In addition to 295 other books, the suspect left a review for the Unabomber’s manifesto. “It’s easy to quickly and thoughtlessly write this off as the manifesto of a lunatic, to avoid facing some of the uncomfortable problems it identifies. But it’s simply impossible to ignore how prescient many of his predictions about modern society turned out.”
Knowing his eventual actions, the review takes on a chilling tone. “When all other forms of communication fail, violence is necessary to survive. .. Peaceful protest is outright ignored, economic protest isn’t possible in the current system, so how long until we recognize that violence against those who lead us to such destruction is justified as self-defense.”
Featured image: no human authorship, CCTV at HI New York City Hostel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons