NY - UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot in Midtown. #8 *Arrest*

[Tippy Lynn]

I personally don’t think LM’s trip to NY was specific to BT. I think it was specific to UHC and that specific event. LM staked out the Hilton in the days leading up to the event and that’s when BT became his target. jmo

 

[fridaybaker]

"Debilitating!? Hmmmmm, he was still able to be up at 5am, walk around the streets near the hotel and hang around for ages whilst still managing to shoot someone several times (while rapidly clearing repeated malfunctions) carrying a backpack and then ride off into the sunrise on a fast bike!

Not debilitating at all, by the looks of it.

But that's not really the nature of a lot of back pain. There are many of us who can, especially at times, do things like walk, climb stairs, pedal a bike, and even run, at times, or if we really have to, oftentimes, though, through wincing pain.
That doesn't mean that daily life, and other activites, aren't wholly impacted, and that there isn't daily pain.

 

[Furore]

JMO - but he's a kid, basically.
Early to late 20's and probably thought he could push through the pain to keep up with friends.
I imagine it would make him feel horrible to be sidelined at such an early age while his friends of his own age are out doing all these activities.
At that age, you often think you know yourself better than anyone - even medical doctors.

Yeah MOO he was living in Hawaii - in a surf community? I don’t think males in their mid twenties are known for their risk assessments given that the leading cause of death in this age group is trauma / accident Top Causes of Death for Ages 25-44

 

[bamachica]

I know they said it was 3D printed, but that does't mean he printed it himself. We likely won't know for sure until they search wherever he was living. I do tend to think he built it himself (minus the slide and other metal components). He just seems the type to do that (he'd enjoy it).

I just did a quick search online, and a printer capable of doing that isn't all that expensive (hundreds to a couple grand). Money seems to be little object to him, so he could have spent even more than that.

So he 3D prints the lower and the silencer, and buys the rest of the components online. Pennsylvania only recently strengthened their laws (which I still don't think mattered in regards to what he would have purchased).

You can download the files to make it online, and he'd have 0 issue with that.

He was really smooth with clearing the jams, not missing a beat. I'm confident that he practiced in the woods or something, and the jams happened there too. Hence the proficiency.

We don't have a clue where he was living, but that's where they'll be checking first I imagine.

3D printing is available at select UPS stores (20 locations) and Staples nationwide. Probably other vendors but I know those for sure

Getting components and building a ghost gun is not extremely difficult, especially if someone has even a little familiarity with firearms.

I am as perplexed as yall on motive. Thanks to everyone for the perspectives shared here. He certainly put forth a great deal of thought and effort

 

[eash]

Was he really leading an 'affluenza' life - if anything he seemed adrift to what his background/education would predict - and his family appears to have been somehow trying to chase after him (his mother reported him missing from SF).

This family seems like a multi-season netflix effort...but it doesn't come off like a dump rich kid with dopey parental enablers.

I am truly struggling to have any empathy for this guy.
Hurts his back and has surgery. Assuming his family wealth trickles down, medical bills can be paid and Baltimore has some of the best hospitals in the country (although he might have had surgery in Hawaii). He has enough savings or family support to take at least a month off of work or a year, depending on the story to deal with the back pain and plan a murder. He is living in the most expensive state and then moves to SF - again, super expensive. While seemingly unemployed. He has a family that cares enough about him to notify others that he is missing.
Life doesn’t always work out and when you live in a wealthy suburban bubble with a supportive family, adulting can be a real shock. However, he had every opportunity to do something great even down to supporting the family multi-million dollar non-profit. He blew it and is going to rot away in jail for the rest of his life instead of using his gifts to make a difference.

 

[ttjo]

There is no justification for what this murderer did.

But there are a lot of comments here and elsewhere, questioning whether he "couldn't just live with his spinal."

Until you go through something, you never know. I had a series of procedures cause irreversible damage to my body. It was traumatic, but the psychological aspects have been worse. I wanted to die, and some days still do. Went from the top of my profession, smart guy with similar degrees, to clinical depression and suicide hotlines.

Thankfully, I don't want to hurt anybody else, but I can relate to the impact that a trauma can have on the mental health of an adult who otherwise seems ok from the outside.

I'm sorry you went through that, I believe it , I just simply pulled a back muscle once and I could understand how pain can affect your life.

 

[Baby baby Jane]

There are media reports that he suffers from

Spondylolisthesis​

Spondylolisthesis: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which a bone (vertebra) in the spine moves forward, out of its proper position, in relation to the bone below it.

medlineplus.gov

There are some Reddit threads people/MDs giving opinions after their own surgeries. The expected worst ever, to improved. Well, I’m sure it sucks, but given medical pain, poor medical outcome as an excuse for murder? Loads of people get handed a poop sandwich every day and have less resources than he to cope (with disability. )

 

[bestill]

I assume LM will need a lawyer rather quickly. And a good one! How does one arrange legal representation when locked up in jail? His family can almost certainly help, but it appears they are estranged from LM.

This is what I'm waiting to find out too. Will he contact his family for help? I am sure his family is getting legal advice from their attorney in Maryland. Will they step up and fund his defense?

 

[JudyBolton]

"
It's possible the people on the bus at the time just didn't follow the news. The elderly man in the McDonalds who spotted him, may be a person who closely follows the news.

I've talked to people here whether people I know who are reasonably educated, or the clerk at the supermarket check out and such, and 3/4 know nothing about it.
Most don't know Syria has fallen either, nor other major news." From previous thread

I had a plumber in my home yesterday who knew NOTHING about this! He said, "I only watch sports...mostly football." When he left, though, he knew all about it! LOL!

 

[Baby baby Jane]

JMO - but he's a kid, basically.
Early to late 20's and probably thought he could push through the pain to keep up with friends.
I imagine it would make him feel horrible to be sidelined at such an early age while his friends of his own age are out doing all these activities.
At that age, you often think you know yourself better than anyone - even medical doctors.

Says also weightlifting/body building can create the problem, or make it worse.​

 

[browneyes]

I have been wondering this myself. His back issues certainly didn't impede his progress bouncing around the city while carrying out his plan.

How do we know with 100% certainty that the photo posted of his spine even belongs to him?

Not saying here he didn't have some legitimate back issues, but I wonder to what extent he was disabled from it.

He may have exaggerated his issue to keep people from contacting him until he carried out his plan.

I had this very same thought last night. He had a murder to plan, he needed to be off the grid. I’m still curious how he knew exactly where to be, knew Brian would be alone and recognized him immediately. That’s planning. The video of the murder is amazing and heartbreaking.

 

[fridaybaker]

Here is something addressing what I said in an earlier post about my experience with NY and homocide law:

Exploring the different degrees of murder charges in New York

In the state of New York, murder is considered one of the most heinous crimes, and it is classified into various degrees based on the severity of the

www.arthurpressmanlaw.com

From the article:

First-Degree Murder

First-degree murder is the most severe form of homicide in New York, and it carries the heaviest penalties, including life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or even the death penalty. To be charged with first-degree murder, specific elements must be present in the case. These elements include the intentional killing of a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or a witness to a crime for the purpose of preventing them from testifying. Additionally, murders committed during the commission of certain serious felonies, such as kidnapping or terrorism, can also result in first-degree murder charges.

 

[justtrish]

JMO - but he's a kid, basically.
Early to late 20's and probably thought he could push through the pain to keep up with friends.
I imagine it would make him feel horrible to be sidelined at such an early age while his friends of his own age are out doing all these activities.
At that age, you often think you know yourself better than anyone - even medical doctors.

I understand this. I also think if his motive was insurance companies are the bad guy, then I'm just saying in his case this just may not be true and it's his way of blaming someone else for his actions. Not that insurance companies are not at fault sometimes, but for him to say this is the problem and his reason why he did this, it just falls short if his actions caused further injury. Is an insurance company supposed to keep paying for someone who maybe isn't following with what the doctor says? I don't know the answer to this, but I can see where it would get costly for insurance companies to keep paying for something when the person isn't following prescribed care guidelines. Again, I don't know if this is what happened, just offering a "what if" type scenario.

If he had this problem and reinjured himself surfing or made it much worse, then at what point is the insurance company not responsible to keep paying for his poor decisions?

We don't even know if they did refuse something he wanted. All we know is he had this ongoing problem and had surgery this year and after that he was in Japan, fell off the grid with his family, and then decided to kill someone.

 

[armchairagatha]

Oh don't get me wrong - if we're right about his motivations I understand them, I just can't get my head around why someone like him, in his position and with all the privilege he has in life, would opt for the nuclear option as a first move? It's insane. If he were a 60 year old who'd worked 12 hour days for 40 years ending up with some chronic industrial disease that he can't get treatment for living in a trailer park with no funds then I could sort of see the angle there.

I get it that the people at the bottom are getting no where because it's extremely difficult to fight enormous vested interests. People like him, though, might stand a chance of actually getting somewhere. I just don't understand why someone who's intelligent and well educated could arrive at the decision that shooting someone in the back is the morally right thing to do or that it would actually change anything.

If he'd decided to run for office or start a political campaign specifically for the purpose of changing American healthcare he might have got somewhere. I've heard it said that UH covers somewhere in the region of 50,000,000 people - that's a lot of voters and from what I've read a huge number of those really don't like that company! As it is he won't change anything now. You can't use violence to address every problem because just doesn't work for most things. If MLK had decided against peaceful protests and mobilising support and legal cases and shooting white state governors instead do we think that the cause of African Americans would have benefitted?

Sorry, I'm rambling somewhat but I just fail to see why today it seems that extreme violence seems to be a first option rather than a last resort in so many things in life. It seems to be especially the case in the US, it has to be said.

He had had such a charmed and privileged life so far that when “adult things” like a back injury and loss of job (layoff) happened he didn’t know how to handle them. It turned to rage against society since he couldn’t control these things. Especially rage against corporations because they laid him off and denied him health coverage. How dare they! Height of entitlement fueled by radical books like the UnaBoomer’s writings and the “Delay, Deny, Defend” against healthcare insurance. JMO

 

[JudyBolton]

You have a fairly large, accomplished family. You don't show up for Thanksgiving and have been out of touch for awhile. Dozens of photos of a suspect are all over the news who looks *just like* your son, brother, cousin, etc. This is just baffling to me and I hope we learn later that someone in his family did contact LE and they were looking into it.

 

[justtrish]

I think his laptop will really help to narrow down when he started planning this plot. I don't know how he would have learned all this information without researching it online. I just don't see how they won't upgrade this murder charge. He plotted this likely for months, stalked this man online to know where he would be and when, then he carried it out.

I do wonder if he could be charged federally for the murder. If he was living in one state plotting this, maybe ordering gun parts online, researching where this man would be, arriving to another state to carry out a murder. It sounds like he could have been committing various crimes in different states and then crossing state lines to carry out a murder. If NY won't charge him with first degree murder, maybe it could be federally charged.

 

[arielilane]

This is the last paragraph posted from his alleged manifesto.

In my opinion, I am not fooled by his words, I dont believe he did this for the tens of millions of other Americans, he did it for himself. Is he an attention seeker?

It doesnt matter my thoughts and opinions, murder is a crime in America. Keep Americans safe. bbm




@alcaprari23

A manifesto found online, with the subtitle, "Luigi Mangione's last words", mentions UnitedHealthcare 7 times, details his mother's physical ailments as well as his own. To be clear, this is not confirmed to be the manifesto found on him today at McDonald's. Here are excerpts:

...



"That’s where UnitedHealthcare went wrong. They violated their contract with my mother, with me, and tens of millions of other Americans. This threat to my own health, my family’s health, and the health of our country’s people requires me to respond with an act of war."


9:17 PM · Dec 9, 2024

https://twitter.com/x/status/1866306105900736654

 

[ClearAhead]

I understand this. I also think if his motive was insurance companies are the bad guy, then I'm just saying in his case this just may not be true and it's his way of blaming someone else for his actions. Not that insurance companies are not at fault sometimes, but for him to say this is the problem and his reason why he did this, it just falls short if his actions caused further injury. Is an insurance company supposed to keep paying for someone who maybe isn't following with what the doctor says? I don't know the answer to this, but I can see where it would get costly for insurance companies to keep paying for something when the person isn't following prescribed care guidelines. Again, I don't know if this is what happened, just offering a "what if" type scenario.

If he had this problem and reinjured himself surfing or made it much worse, then at what point is the insurance company not responsible to keep paying for his poor decisions?

We don't even know if they did refuse something he wanted. All we know is he had this ongoing problem and had surgery this year and after that he was in Japan, fell off the grid with his family, and then decided to kill someone.

Yes you’re right, a lot of conclusions being drawn that are devoid of facts. Was rich boy motivated to shoot the CEO because his claim for compensation for pain as a result of shoddy back surgery was denied?

Maybe, but if he was driven by a personal vendetta then why didn’t he shoot the surgeon instead?

 

[Tiff23fr]

This is the last paragraph posted from his alleged manifesto.

In my opinion, I am not fooled by his words, I dont believe he did this for the tens of millions of other Americans, he did it for himself. Is he an attention seeker?

It doesnt matter my thoughts and opinions, murder is a crime in America. Keep Americans safe. bbm




@alcaprari23

A manifesto found online, with the subtitle, "Luigi Mangione's last words", mentions UnitedHealthcare 7 times, details his mother's physical ailments as well as his own. To be clear, this is not confirmed to be the manifesto found on him today at McDonald's. Here are excerpts:

...



"That’s where UnitedHealthcare went wrong. They violated their contract with my mother, with me, and tens of millions of other Americans. This threat to my own health, my family’s health, and the health of our country’s people requires me to respond with an act of war."


9:17 PM · Dec 9, 2024

https://twitter.com/x/status/1866306105900736654

He said “WAR” - IMO he is a terrorist of the new age

 

[fridaybaker]

I find that odd. I've always been of the impression that degree was denoted by intent. In a very basic understanding - did I kill you during an argument or accident that got out of hand, that's 2nd degree. Did I learn your work schedule and shoot you as you walked to your car, that's 1st degree.

Ahhh, but things are different in NY!

I was perplexed, too, when I was on the jury for a case where a woman murdered her husband by slow poisoning, then attempted to blame her daughter and murder her as well, too. (Stacey Castor) She is thought to also have murdered her first husband and her father as well. She was only charged with 1st degree homocide.

Needless to say, many of us were shocked. It was about the coldest, cruellest killing you can imagine. The guy suffered tremendously, languishing in severe pain for days. Yet, 2nd degree.