Murder of Head of Major Insurance Company, or How the Alleged Killer Became "Robin Hood" in the USA

A new hero of our time has been found in the United States - this is Luigi Mangione, who shot the head of the largest American medical insurance company UnitedHealthcare in the very center of Manhattan.

The alleged killer has formed an entire army of fans in a matter of days. Mangione is called "Robin Hood" and "John Wick", and videos and TikToks praising the killer are going viral on the Internet. There is also glorification offline: sympathizers have opened a collection for legal assistance - there are already tens of thousands of dollars in the piggy bank. And online stores are full of T-shirts and baseball caps with photos of Luigi.

Why did the young man commit a crime and why did the Americans support him so much?

All of America is buzzing about him today. Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old Italian-American, from a wealthy family, an outstanding student, an Ivy League graduate, is suspected of brutally murdering the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest health insurance companies in the United States. Police say it was Mangione who opened fire in broad daylight outside a Manhattan hotel, shooting Brian Thompson three times at point-blank range. He died in hospital. The police immediately expressed confidence that this was a planned murder.

Jessica Tisch, Commissioner of the Police of New York City (USA):

"This does not appear to be a random act of violence. The victim was in New York to speak at an investor conference. It appears that the suspect waited for several minutes. And as the victim was walking toward the hotel where the conference was taking place, the suspect came up from behind and fired several times. Many people passed by the suspect, but he seemed to be waiting for his intended target. Then he disappeared."

The search for the suspect lasted five days. During this time, the accused murderer suddenly turned into an icon of popular support. Ordinary Americans hoped until the very end that the police would not find him. They promised not to turn him in, called him "a modern-day Robin Hood" and "a real John Wick." They tore down posters with his photos, called for help in hiding. And when he was finally caught in Pennsylvania, social networks exploded. The restaurant where Mangione was arrested was immediately bombarded with negative comments. And fans began to raise money for a lawyer. By the way, he has already told journalists that his client denies all charges.

Thomas Dickey, Luigi Mangione's lawyer:

"He declared his innocence."

The security forces decided to give the case a special status. The country's authorities are afraid that the young man might find followers. On the streets of Manhattan, opponents of the political elite and corporate America are already pasting up leaflets with the words "Wanted" and crossed-out photos of new victims. And among them are exclusively senior executives in the healthcare sector. The security services of all medical companies urgently remove the names of top managers from their websites and tighten security rules.

Rebecca Weiner, Deputy Commissioner of the Police Department of New York City (USA):

"A high-profile incident can have the same consequences as an act of terrorism. And that is why our job is to make sure that we take any threats very seriously."

The crime exposed a festering sore - the irritation and anger of Americans regarding the health insurance system. Luigi, who left an encrypted message on three shell casings, knew this firsthand: DENY, DEFEND, DEPOSE. These are the words that employees of health insurance companies often say when they first deny any payments, then defend their decisions, and then depose their criminal conclusions in court.

Joseph Kenny, Chief of Detectives, New York City Police Department (USA):

"We have no information that he, Luigi Mangione, was ever a client of UnitedHealthcare, but in the manifesto that we found on him, he mentions that it was the fifth largest corporation in America. And yes, Mangione had an injury that changed his life a lot. And that may have been the reason for what happened."

Luigi himself had a negative experience with medical institutions due to a spinal disease. It is known that he has 4 pins. On social networks, Mangione complained that the pain was driving him crazy and scolded doctors who treat poorly. And this is despite the fact that Luigi could afford to turn to the best specialists.

Bharat Pankhania, a physician and senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter:

"We underestimate the consequences of chronic pain. Chronic pain takes years off your life. It makes you incapacitated, irritable, depressed, unhappy, and so on. And if treatments don't work, then naturally you're going to be angry."

Fuel was added to the fire by reporters who dug up details of the biography of the murdered millionaire insurer Thompson. Thus, in 2023 alone, UnitedHealthcare's revenue exceeded $16 billion. But payments during the Covid period for insurance claims decreased several times.At the same time, last year Thompson received an annual bonus of 10 million dollars.

Not only anonymous users of social networks, but also real journalists and experts in the healthcare industry took Mangione's side. Naturally, they do not approve of murder as a way to solve problems, but at the same time they believe that the modern American social system is to blame for this incident, which does not work for people, but for the enrichment of corporations.

"Can such a strange reaction to the murder of the head of an insurance company be understood? In America, it is quite understandable," the journalist of The Guardian believes.

"The reaction to the murder of the CEO is an echo of disappointment with the health care system," writes the New York Times

"The murder of the CEO has drawn attention to the general annoyance with insurers," reports NBC.

The health care system in the United States is onlypaid. Everyone must buy insurance for themselves and their children. For those who work, it is usually paid by the employer or the state, if we are talking about pensioners and the disabled. But the catch is that the insurance does not cover the entire cost of treatment. And according to statistics, 26,000 people die in the US every year because insurance companies refuse to pay for treatment. At the same time, every 12th American is a medical debtor.

Luigi Mangione, the accused:

"This is completely inappropriate and insults the intelligence of the American people and their life experience."

The Mangione case really does look like a modern Robin Hood tale, adapted to a world where only a few in the US have access to quality medicine. And the majority have only pain, debt, and years of accumulated despair. It is not surprising that Luigi's trial is postponed. The authorities simply cannot find a jury. They will immediately acquit him.