Luigi Mangione, suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week, yelled out to the press and public as he was led to a Pennsylvania court Tuesday for his extradition hearing to New York.
“It’s completely out of touch and is an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience!” Mangione yelled as police officers escorted him, while wearing shackles, into the Blair County Court in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.
Luigi Mangione, the suspected killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, yells to the press as he is taken into court for his extradition hearing:
— The Recount (@therecount) December 10, 2024
“…completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people!” pic.twitter.com/wKymRxGvUW
It’s a statement sure to spark conspiracy theories and more discussions about Mangione’s motive. In court Tuesday, Mangione said he would challenge extradition to New York, where Thompson was shot outside of a midtown Manhattan hotel last Wednesday. Mangione is being held in Pennsylvania on charges related to his possession of a 3-D printed handgun and silencer, as well as multiple fake IDs and a U.S. passport.
Mangione’s motive has been highly scrutinized, with his complicated right-wing politics and a manifesto being pored over by media outlets. In recent years, according to online posts and one of his friends, Mangione suffered from severe back pain, and underwent surgery. His profile page on X had a picture of an X-ray showing screws in his spine.
Some Americans have reacted positively to the shooting due to widespread dissatisfaction with American health care, a sentiment allegedly shared by Mangione, who wrote in his manifesto that the U.S. had “most expensive healthcare system in the world” but criticized that the U.S. “ranks #42 in life expectancy.” Mangione’s legal proceedings promise to be closely followed, and if he is extradited to New York, will likely be a media circus.
