Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old former Ivy League student, has been arrested and charged with the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The shocking case has taken an unexpected turn, as Mangione’s past as a participant in an online gaming group has drawn eerie parallels to the crime.
Mangione, who once played the popular assassin video game ‘Among Us’ with fellow students at the University of Pennsylvania, was apprehended Monday morning at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. A vigilant employee recognized him and alerted authorities. Mangione was carrying a 3D-printed firearm, a fake ID, a passport, and a handwritten manifesto that police say reveals his motivation.
He faces multiple charges in both Pennsylvania and New York, including murder, possession of a weapon, and forgery.
From space station to real-life suspicion
Among Us, a wildly popular multiplayer game, involves players assuming the roles of “crewmates” or a secret “killer” aboard a spaceship. The goal? The killer must eliminate crewmates without being caught, while others attempt to unmask the culprit.
Alejandro Romero, a college friend of Mangione and fellow gamer, expressed disbelief at the news. “I just found it extremely ironic that, you know, we were in this game and there could actually be a true killer among us,” Romero told NBC News.
Romero described Mangione as a “typical frat guy” who didn’t stand out during their college years but admitted that questions about Mangione’s online behavior post-2020 are now haunting their friend group.
The game, widely beloved for its colorful, cartoonish characters and whodunit mechanics, surged in popularity during the pandemic. But the real-life parallel between the game’s premise and Mangione’s alleged crime has cast a dark shadow over the memories of those who once gamed with him.
Romero described Mangione as a typical college student, blending in with his peers. “He just fit a mold,” Romero said. “He seemed like any other normal frat dude.” However, in the years following college, Mangione’s online activity began to raise questions.
Digital footprints and a descent into darkness
After graduating during the chaos of the pandemic, Mangione’s life seemed to veer off course.
A review of his digital footprint revealed that he had reviewed Ted Kaczynski’s Industrial Society and Its Future, better known as the “Unabomber Manifesto,” and became increasingly active on X (formerly Twitter) in 2021 after a five-year hiatus. The shift in his online persona has left Romero and others from their friend group struggling to piece together how this “normal” college student could now face such grave accusations.
In a statement on X, Mangione’s family expressed shock and devastation, offering prayers for Thompson’s family and asking for privacy during this time.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that Mangione’s 3D-printed firearm and manifesto are under investigation as authorities work to understand his motives.
For those who knew him, the arrest has upended their perception of a man they once considered unremarkable. “I didn’t speak to anyone today who wasn’t already aware of what had happened,” Romero said. “It feels surreal.”