The family of Luigi Mangione have issued a statement following his arrest over the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson.
Mangione was arrested on Monday (9 December) outside of a Pennsylvania McDonald's after a member of the public identified Mangione and tipped off the police.
When he was apprehended, he was found with items linking him to the murder of the CEO, which included a gun, mask and a series of writings.
The 26-year-old from Maryland was taken into custody and is currently being held without bail in Pennsylvania.
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He was also charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police.
Thompson, 50, was fatally shot in the back and once in the calf outside the Hilton Hotel on Sixth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan last Wednesday.
'Deny', 'depose' and 'defend' were engraved on the live rounds and shell casings left behind from the silent gun.
The death of the CEO has caused widespread shock as his death sent ripples throughout the nation, and now Mangione’s family have issued a statement on social media.
Mangione's family 'shocked and devastated'
Following the news of Mangione’s arrest, his family released a statement which was posted on Twitter saying they were ‘shocked’ by the news.
Mangione’s cousin, Nino, who is a Republican member of the lower house of Maryland’s state legislature, wrote: “Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione.
“We only know what we have read in the media.”
He noted: “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.”
Mangione’s Goodreads account and chilling 'manifesto'
Mangione’s Goodreads account shows a positive four-star review for the manifesto of Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, who committed bombing attacks in the 1970s, 80s and 90s due to his hatred for 'industrial society and its consequences'.
In his review, Mangione said: "It's easy to quickly and thoughtless[ly] write this off as the manifesto of a lunatic.
"He was a violent individual - rightfully imprisoned - who maimed innocent people.
"While these actions tend to be characterized as those of a crazy luddite, however, they are more accurately seen as those of an extreme political revolutionary."
Meanwhile, in the suspect's bag found with him at the Pennsylvania McDonald's, there was reportedly a 262-word handwritten note.
A senior law enforcement official who reportedly saw the document told The New York Times that the note appeared to show Mangione open up about the shooting.
“To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone,” the suspect reportedly wrote, adding companies that 'continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allowed them to get away with it'.
He also reportedly wrote that 'these parasites had it coming' and 'I do apologise for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done'.
Topics: Crime, US News, Luigi Mangione
Britt Jones