Luigi Mangione: What we know about man arrested in connection with Brian Thompson shooting

Published

1 year ago

December 10, 2024

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A man arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson has been named as Luigi Mangione.

The 26-year-old was arrested on a firearms charge by police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday morning, following the shooting of Mr Thompson by a masked gunman in Manhattan last Wednesday.

He has not been charged with the killing of Mr Thompson, officials said on Monday.

Detectives from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) have travelled to Pennsylvania to question Mangione.

Here’s what we know about him so far…

Arrest

According to officials from the NYPD, Mangione was arrested in Altoona on Monday after a tip-off from a McDonald’s employee who recognised him from the police appeals.

Altoona is around 230 miles to the west of New York and in the state of Pennsylvania.

According to police, he had a silencer and a gun “both consistent with the weapon used in the murder”.

They said the gun appeared to be a “ghost gun” – a type of weapon that can be assembled at home from parts and without a serial number – and that it was possibly made using a 3D printer.

Mangione also had a fake New Jersey ID – with the name Mark Rosario – matching a document used by the suspect to check into a hostel in the city before the attack, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told a press conference on Monday.

He was found carrying a “handwritten document” which Ms Tisch said spoke “to both his motivation and mindset”.

NYPD chief of detectives Joseph Kenny said that from the document, it appeared the suspect had “some ill-will towards corporate America”.

Background

According to police, Mangione was born and raised in the state of Maryland and has links to San Francisco in California and Hawaii’s capital Honolulu.

His social media lists him as being from Towson, a well-to-do area to the north of the city of Baltimore. He is said to have attended Gilman school – a private all-boys school in the city.

Fees cost up to $37,000 (£29,000) depending on the age of the student and the school boasts an impressive list of alumni, including businessmen, NFL stars and former state senators.

After graduating in 2016, it appears Mangione went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania.

According to his social media, he studied computer science and during his time there launched a gaming research group named UPGRADE (UPenn Game Research and Development Environment).

He later co-founded his own computer game company, which focused on small, simplistic games.

According to his LinkedIn page, Mangione moved to California in 2020, where he worked for a digital retailing website for new and used cars.

Magione lists himself as from Honolulu on his LinkedIn page, while pictures shared on his public Instagram page show him on the island of Hawaii.

What about his social media presence?

Mangione appears to have an active social media presence.

One account, appearing under his name and picture on the X platform, regularly shares and reposts think pieces, with frequent topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), philosophy, and the future of humanity in a world of ever-more powerful technology.

The account praised the book What’s Our Problem? by the popular American author Tim Urban – who often addresses such topics – in January 2024 saying he “believed it would go down in history as the most important philosophical text of the early 21st century”.

While the account does address political issues, it seemingly does not express views on the American healthcare and insurance system.

In another account matching his name and photograph on the user-generated book review site Goodreads, he appeared to give a four-star review to a text called Industrial Society and Its Future by Theodore Kaczynski.

The piece, which rallied against technological advancement, became known as the Unabomber Manifesto after its author began a nearly 20-year mail bombing campaign which he said was designed to protect nature.

Three people were killed and dozens others injured in the bombing campaign, which ended with his arrest in 1996.

In the review, the account seemingly run by Mangione wrote: “When all other forms of communication fail, violence is necessary to survive. You may not like his methods, but to see things from his perspective, it’s not terrorism, it’s war and revolution.

“‘Violence never solved anything’ is a statement uttered by cowards and predators.”

Brian Thompson shooting

Brian Thompson, 50, was the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare – the fourth-largest public company in the United States.

He was targeted by what experts claim was a “seasoned, professional killer”, who shot him on 4 December as he was walking into a Manhattan hotel where his company was holding a conference.

Investigators said last week the words “defend”, “deny”, and “depose” were written on the cases of bullets found at the scene, which are similar to the title of a book that criticises health insurance companies.

The shooting happened at 6.45am on Wednesday 4 December – just before sunrise.

Mr Thompson was in New York City for UnitedHealthcare’s annual investors conference, which was due to start at 8am.

As he walked towards the entrance of the Hilton hotel on Sixth Avenue, in Manhattan’s midtown, a gunman appeared from two parked cars behind him.

The suspect drew his weapon and fired at least three times at close range – around 15ft (4.6m) away from him on the pavement.

Mr Thompson was shot in the back and the calf and died from his injuries.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the US and manages insurance for employers and state and federally funded programmes.

It is the fourth largest public company in the country – behind Walmart, Amazon, and Apple.

US

Who’s pictured in the newly released photos from Epstein estate?

Published

35 mins ago

December 13, 2025

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Who's pictured in the newly released photos from Epstein estate?

Donald Trump, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Bill Clinton are among high-profile figures pictured in a new selection of photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, released by Democrats in Congress.

Warning: This article contains images of a sexual nature that some readers may find offensive.

An initial tranche of 19 photos was shared on Friday, and all of the people whose faces had not been redacted were identified by Sky News. They have been contacted for comment.

A second batch of dozens of photos was released the same day, including one of former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak and another of Epstein himself in the bath.

Latest updates from release of Epstein photos

The photos were shared by House Oversight Committee Democrats, who said they are reviewing more than 95,000 images from the estate.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of those pictured in the images released on Friday and the context surrounding the photos is not known.

Mr Barak told the New York Times this week: “I now deeply regret having any association with him.

“However, not any point in my dealings with him I did ever witness any improper behaviour and certainly I never participated in anything like that.”

In one image, Mr Trump is seen with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Belgian model Ingrid Seynhaeve.

Two further photos show the US president with women whose faces are redacted.

One image is black and white and shows him with six women; three on either side of him. The other is out of focus, and shows him sitting alongside an unidentified woman.

Speaking after Epstein took his own life in jail in 2019, Mr Trump admitted knowing Epstein, but added: “I had a falling out with him. I haven’t spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.”

In July, the White House also released a statement saying Epstein had been banned from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for acting like a “creep”.

When asked about the latest release of Epstein material at the White House on Friday, Mr Trump said he “knows nothing about it” and that the disgraced financier “has photos with everybody”.

In another photo released by Democrats, Bill Clinton is seen with Epstein and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as singer Jimmy Buffett and Mr Buffett’s wife Jane Slagsvol.

In 2019, a spokesperson for the former US president said he had “not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade” and “knows nothing about the terrible crimes”.

Further images show Epstein with long-time Trump ally, Steve Bannon. In one he sits across from him at his desk, while in another the men are seen side-by-side taking a selfie in a mirror.

Mr Bannon appeared again in the later batch of images, photographed alongside Noam Chomsky, an American professor perhaps best known for his political activism.

Hollywood filmmaker Woody Allen appears in four photos; two of them taken with Epstein.

In another, Allen is photographed with Mr Bannon, while one more shows him sat with Bill Clinton’s former treasury secretary, Larry Summers, and his wife Elisa New, seemingly on a private plane.

Speaking to The Times in September, Allen said he had been to dinner at Epstein’s home, but suggested he was unaware of the nature of his crimes.

Allen said: “He told us he’d been in jail and that he had been – I can’t remember the word – but that he’d been falsely put in jail in some way.”

Meanwhile, Mr Summers told the Harvard Crimson that his former association with Epstein was “a major error of judgement”.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, then Prince Andrew, is seen just once, alongside tech billionaire Bill Gates. Epstein is not pictured. The original photo at a malaria summit also shows the then Prince Charles but he is cropped out of the version released by the Democrats. It is not clear why the picture has been included in the Epstein files.

Andrew relinquished his titles in October amid continued controversy over his friendship with Epstein, but said at the time: “I vigorously deny the accusations against me”.

Mr Gates himself appears twice more, once alongside Epstein’s long-time pilot, Larry Visoski, and once in a framed photo which appears in an image above a black cabinet.

In 2021, the tech billionaire told the New York Times he had met Epstein to discuss philanthropy and Gates’s spokeswoman said he regretted ever meeting him.

The following year Mr Gates told the BBC: “I made a mistake ever meeting with Jeffrey Epstein.

“Any meeting I had with him could be viewed as almost condoning his evil behaviour. So, that was a mistake.”

Another photo shows British entrepreneur Richard Branson with Epstein and Dean Kamen, an American engineer, inventor, and businessman.

Epstein is seen with his lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, in one more image.

Mr Dershowitz said he fell out with Epstein after making a plea deal for him in 2007, leading to his conviction.

He told the Harvard Crimson in November: “Jeffrey Epstein despised me after I had made the deal. Epstein and I did not get along personally after I represented him and helped get the deal.”

Emirati businessman Ahmed bin Sulayem is also among those pictured, appearing twice in the second cache of photos.

A number of images of a sexual nature appear in the first cache.

One shows a bowl of novelty condoms with a caricature of Trump’s face, each one bearing the phrase “I’m HUUUUGE!” A handwritten sign reads: “Trump condom $4.50.”

Various sex toys are also featured in pictures, including a glove with ribbed fingers, and a safety notice from a “jawbreaker” gag warning of the risk of injury or death.

Many of the newer batch of photos appear to show parts of Epstein’s properties, including a toilet, various service areas, and a small beachfront construction project.

Among the photos are several additional images which are thought to be from the disgraced financier’s private island, Little Saint James, showing a dental suite previously seen in an earlier release of pictures.

The images, obtained from the Epstein estate, were released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee in a bid to pressure the US Justice Department to release the full Epstein files.

President Trump signed a bill in November compelling the department to release case files within 30 days, in a U-turn after he opposed the bill for months. The end of that window is Friday 19 December.

The images released on Friday were described by Democrats as being “of the wealthy and powerful men who spent time with Jeffrey Epstein” and “photographs of women and Epstein properties”.

A spokesperson for the Republican-led House Oversight Committee accused the Democrats of “cherry-picking photos and making targeted redactions” to create a “false narrative” about Donald Trump.

“Democrats’ hoax against President Trump has been completely debunked,” they added.

US

Who’s pictured in the newly released photos from Epstein files?

Published

4 hours ago

December 12, 2025

admin

Donald Trump, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Bill Clinton are among high-profile figures pictured in a new selection of photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, released by Democrats in Congress.

This article contains images of a sexual nature that some people may find offensive.

Sky News has identified all of the people whose faces have not been redacted in the images. They have been contacted for comment.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of those pictured and the context surrounding the 19 photos is not known.

Latest updates from Epstein files

In one image, the US president is seen with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Belgian model Ingrid Seynhaeve.

Two further photos show Mr Trump with women whose faces are redacted.

One image is black and white and shows him with six women; three on either side of him. The other is out of focus, and shows him sitting alongside an unidentified woman.

In July, the White House also released a statement saying Epstein had been banned from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for acting like a “creep”.

In another photo released by Democrats, Bill Clinton is seen with Epstein and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as singer Jimmy Buffett and Mr Buffett’s wife Jane Slagsvol.

In 2019, a spokesperson for the former US president said he had “not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade” and “knows nothing about the terrible crimes”.

Further images show Epstein with long-time Trump ally, Steve Bannon. In one he sits across from him at his desk, while in another the men are seen side-by-side taking a selfie in a mirror.

Hollywood filmmaker Woody Allen appears in four of the photos; two of them taken with Epstein.

In another, Allen is photographed with Bannon, while one more shows him sat with Bill Clinton’s former treasury secretary, Larry Summers, and his wife Elisa New, seemingly on a private plane.

Speaking to The Times in September, Allen said he had been to dinner at Epstein’s home, but suggested he was unaware of the nature of his crimes.

Allen said: “He told us he’d been in jail and that he had been – I can’t remember the word – but that he’d been falsely put in jail in some way.”

Meanwhile, Summers told the Harvard Crimson that his former association with Epstein was “a major error of judgement”.

Andrew relinquished his titles in October amid continued controversy over his friendship with Epstein, but said at the time: “I vigorously deny the accusations against me”.

Gates himself appears twice more, once alongside Epstein’s long-time pilot, Larry Visoski, and once in a framed photo which appears in an image above a black cabinet.

In 2021, the billionaire told the New York Times he had met Epstein to discuss philanthropy and Gates’s spokeswoman said he regretted ever meeting him.

A year later, Gates told the BBC: “I made a mistake ever meeting with Jeffrey Epstein.

“Any meeting I had with him could be viewed as almost condoning his evil behaviour. So, that was a mistake.”

Another photo shows British entrepreneur Richard Branson with Epstein and Dean Kamen, an American engineer, inventor, and businessman.

Epstein is seen with his lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, in one more image.

Dershowitz said he fell out with Epstein after making a plea deal for him in 2007, leading to his conviction.

He told the Harvard Crimson in November: “Jeffrey Epstein despised me after I had made the deal. Epstein and I did not get along personally after I represented him and helped get the deal.”

A number of images of a sexual nature also appear in the cache.

One shows a bowl of novelty condoms with a caricature of Trump’s face, each one bearing the phrase “I’m HUUUUGE!” A handwritten sign reads: “Trump condom $4.50.”

Various sex toys are also featured in pictures, including a glove with ribbed fingers, and a safety notice from a “jawbreaker” gag warning of the risk of injury or death.

The images were released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, which obtained them from the Epstein estate.

Democrats said the files included tens of thousands of photos and said more would be released in the coming days.

They were described as “images of the wealthy and powerful men who spent time with Jeffrey Epstein” and “photographs of women and Epstein properties”.

“Democrats’ hoax against President Trump has been completely debunked,” they added.

US

Charlie Kirk shooting suspect makes first in-person court appearance

Published

19 hours ago

December 12, 2025

admin

Charlie Kirk shooting suspect makes first in-person court appearance

The man accused of killing right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk has appeared in person at court for the first time.

Tyler Robinson, 22, from Utah, is charged with aggravated murder in relation to the shooting of Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem.

Video of the incident showed Kirk, 31, and a staunch ally of Donald Trump, reaching up with his right hand after a gunshot was heard as blood came out from the left side of his neck. He died shortly after.

Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty.

On Wednesday’s appearance at Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, Robinson arrived in court with restraints on his wrists and ankles and wearing a dress shirt, tie and slacks.

According to the Associated Press, he smiled at family members sitting in the front row of the courtroom, where his mother teared up and wiped her eyes with a tissue.

He made previous court appearances via video or audio feed from jail.

The shooting happened during Kirk’s “prove me wrong” series, which saw the father of two visit campuses and debate contentious subjects; in this case, he was discussing mass shootings.

Prosecutors say the bullet which struck Kirk’s neck “passed closely to several other individuals”, including the person questioning him as part of the event.

A charging document about Robinson from September includes incriminating texts sent between the alleged shooter and his roommate after Kirk’s death.

Judge Tony Graf also heard arguments on Wednesday about whether cameras and media should be allowed in the courtroom, with Robinson’s lawyers and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office asking for them to be banned.

Mr Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has called for full transparency and said “we deserve to have cameras in there”.

The judge has already made allowances to protect Robinson’s presumption of innocence before a trial, agreeing that the case has drawn “extraordinary” public attention