Public opinion polls and media analysis

Grand Jury Hears Case as Supporters Fund Defense of Ivy League Graduate Accused of Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO

Dec 12, 2024, 10:26 PM

Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old Maryland native and Ivy League graduate connected to a prominent Baltimore family, has been charged with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk last week. Prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney's office have begun presenting evidence to a grand jury. Authorities have reported that Mangione was not a client of UnitedHealthcare, and investigators believe he targeted the company due to its status as the largest healthcare provider in the country. Police have indicated that Mangione may have used a ghost gun, a weapon that can be made using a 3D printer, in the attack. A notebook found on Mangione reportedly described the assassination of Thompson. In the aftermath of the incident, supporters of Mangione are raising funds for his defense, with one fundraiser reportedly collecting over $31,000 on the Christian-based fundraising platform GiveSendGo and aiming to raise $200,000. Law enforcement officials are concerned that Mangione is being turned into a martyr, as some supporters frame him as a "Robin Hood" figure, highlighting issues with the US healthcare system. Former FBI Special Agent Michael Tabman noted that the case has struck a deep chord in the US, raising concerns about domestic terrorism and jury impartiality.