Luigi Mangione

On December 4th United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in New York City. After the shot was fired the hunt was on for the killer. Surveillance video showed only a partial view of the killer's face. It began to seem like he was going to run free as the police could not locate the killer and had no leads. Just five days after the shooting, police received a call to a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. A worker at McDonald's believed they had identified the killer. Police were able to arrest the suspect on unrelated charges at the time. His name is Luigi Mangione. 

Mangione was a high-achieving individual. He graduated from his high school as valedictorian and later went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in computer science. Many who were close to Magione described him as normal and someone who had a love for learning and did very well academically. Magione also comes from generational wealth. This has allowed him to earn the high degree of education he possesses as well as spend time post-grad in Hawaii where he spent his time surfing. He ultimately returned back to Maryland due to his ongoing back pain that worsened while he was surfing. 

Upon his arrest, Magione was found with multiple fake IDs, some of which are suspected to be what he used to check into his hostel in New York City the night of the murder. He was also found with various passports and the gun that is suspected to be the one that killed Thompson. After his arrest, Mangione was transferred to a high-security prison in Pennsylvania. At that time he was simply charged with Pennsylvania gun possession and forgery charges. As of 5:30 pm on December 17, he was indicted on a first-degree murder charge. He has also been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, as well as killing as an act of terrorism; two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon; four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon; one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon; and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. These charges come from the fact that this was a premeditated attack that some believe was taken out to invoke terror. 

As of right now, this is still a developing story, however, it has gained the attention of many online. 

Due to Mangione’s charming appearance, many are coming to his defense, making edits of him and even saying he didn’t commit the crime. One conspiracy theory surrounding the crime has to do with Monopoly money which was found in Mangione’s backpack. After the shooting and before the suspect was located, the police found his backpack in Central Park full of Monopoly money. The city where Mangione was caught is a stop on the Monopoly railroad. Although this may be purely a coincidence, some think it is much more than that and the real killer is actually on the run. 

What do you think? Is Mangione guilty or should he be set free?