Shocked family and friends of 26-year-old Luigi Maggione are trying to figure out why he killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in cold blood last week in midtown Manhattan. Maggione evaded capture for 4 days and was finally located at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania after an employee recognized him and alerted the police.

Even the police were surprised at his identity – a young man from a rich and prominent family of Baltimore, Me studies in the best colleges of the USA, comfortable lifemost recently in Hawaii, with a lively Lifestyle presence on social media, no criminal record.

A former colleague of Maggione’s described him as outgoing and socially charming. “I’m surprised,” he told CNN. “I never had the impression that it would self-destruct.”
In a statement released by the family, relatives said they were “shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest”.

Luigi Maggione, 26, faces charges of murder, two other offenses linked to gun laws and forgery.

Inside the 26-year-old’s backpack, at the time of his arrest, a black pistol and a silencer with 3D printing were found. He also had a handwritten document that said “these vermin were on the prowl” and expressed a “sick mood toward corporate America.”

Back surgery and brain fog

Around 2022, Maggione moved to Hawaii, where he lived for about six years in a condominium and worked remotely as a data engineer for TrueCar, a digital retail site for new and used cars, while actively participating in the local social life.

While residents sometimes discussed capitalism and the health care system, he had never railed against them.

“He didn’t seem upset or angry about that particular issue. I can’t understand why he did it,” said RJ Martin, a friend of the 26-year-old who lived with him in Hawaii. He said he did not recall Maggione ever talking about guns or violence.

Shortly after moving to Hawaii, the 26-year-old had one surfing accident and ended up “in bed for about a week” with back pain.

He eventually underwent surgery operation and even sent a photo of his x-ray to Martin: “he looked hideous, me huge screws going into his spine” said his former friend.

Maggione then began to change his social media habits and frequently referred to his surgery and accident.

He wrote that he had suffered from spondylolisthesis since childhood, but the accident worsened the condition, causing constant back pain

“My back and hips locked (collapsed) after the accident,” he wrote in July 2023, adding that “the intermittent numbness has become constant” and “I am terrified for the consequences”.

Anyway, then he didn’t seem to post anything about his surgery and health insurance or anything associated with UnitedHealthcare.

The 26-year-old also wrote about other health issues he was dealing with, such as Lyme disease etcheysevere brain fog‘, which started after he lost sleep during ‘hell week’ at his college fraternity and caused his grades to start ‘dropping’.

Maggione expressed his frustration at how little was understood by the medical community about brain fog, writing that “it’s absolutely brutal to have such a life-ending issue… People around you probably won’t understand your symptoms – they certainly don’t understand what’s happening to me.”

Brain fog affects people of all ages and is characterized by the appearance of confusion and a reduced degree of mental clarity, with a strong presence in oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy. The causes of brain fog are many and include physical, emotional and biochemical factors such as medical conditions, stress and lack of sleep.

Lyme Disease (Lyme) is caused by a tick bite with flu-like symptoms in the initial stages and then manifests with musculoskeletal, arthritic, neurological, psychiatric and cardiac symptoms.

His political views

Maggione’s social media profile sheds more light on his thinking on political violence.

Earlier this year, he said he had read the 1995 anti-technology manifesto written by Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, the notorious domestic terrorist and mathematician known for sending deadly mail bombs.

“He was a violent person – rightfully imprisoned – who maimed innocent people. While these actions tend to be labeled as those of a madman, they are more accurately seen as those of an extreme political revolutionary,” he commented.

In another comment about Kaczynski, he wrote that he “had the balls to admit that peaceful protest got us nowhere” and that “‘violence has never solved anything’ is a statement of cowards and predators.”

In all, Maggione wrote that he read or wanted to read nearly 300 books, including a book on mental illness, a biography of the creator of the atomic bomb, and Michael Pollan’s popular book on the science of psychedelia while at X he frequently published views on science and technology, including artificial intelligence and psychedelia.

the “disappearance”

Since mid-summer, the 26-year-old has “disappeared” from social media, with his online friends looking for him on X and the other platforms he maintained accounts on.

In July, one user wrote to Maggione, “I haven’t heard from you in months,” urging him to let him know if the “commitments” to his marriage are true.

“No one has heard from you in months, and apparently your family is looking for you,” one user wrote on X in October, tagging an account belonging to Maggione.

“I don’t know if you’re okay,” another posted.

In late November, just weeks before Thompson was killed, another user wrote to the 26-year-old message, “Thinking of you and praying for you. Know that we miss you and love you.”

Now, as police search for Mangione’s possible motive for killing the UnitedHealthcare CEO, those who know him are wondering how someone with a promising life could have committed such a brazen crime.