UnitedHealthcare CEO killing: What we know about suspect's ties to Bay Area

ByDan Noyes

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 2:25AM

CEO killing: What we know about suspect's ties to Bay Area

What we know about Luigi Mangione's ties to Bay Area, suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson who was arrested in Pennsylvania on Monday has ties to Southern California and to the Bay Area.

ABC7 News I-Team reporter Dan Noyes uncovered that Luigi Mangione worked as a head counselor at Stanford in 2019 after attending an elite high school in Baltimore and earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in Pennsylvania.

After his time at Stanford, Mangione headed off to a job in computer programming.

On Monday, much of the day for law enforcement and for us has been delving into the background of the 26-year-old suspected killer.

"He was born and raised in Maryland," said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. "We know he has ties to San Francisco, California. And his last known address was Honolulu, Hawaii. He has no prior arrest history in New York."

Mangione has an ample online presence. He grew up in Baltimore; graduated from the exclusive all-boys high school, Gilman, as 2016 Valedictorian.

The school's headmaster introduced him, "Luigi Nicholas Mangione."

Nothing out of the ordinary, as he spoke at a Founder's Day celebration.

"It's been an incredible journey," Mangione said. "And I simply can't imagine the last few years with any other group of guys. Thank you."

TIMELINE: UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect's timeline before, during, after the shooting

Gilman sent us a statement Monday: "Luigi Mangione's suspected involvement in this case is deeply distressing news on top of an already awful situation. Our hearts go out to everyone affected."

Mangione went on to the University of Pennsylvania for Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Engineering and Computer Science.

Stanford University confirms that Mangione worked there as a head counselor in the Pre-Collegiate Studies program for four months in the summer of 2019. On his LinkedIn, he writes that he "taught artificial intelligence to gifted high school students." His Facebook page includes several photos of him enjoying the sights around the Bay Area.

Mangione wrote that he worked at TrueCar, the used car app based in Santa Monica, since 2020. However, the company tells ABC7 he stopped working there in 2023.

There are clues on his social media that he may have suffered a catastrophic medical emergency - an x-ray of a spine with four screws, on his X page. Mangione carried other potential evidence when arrested -- a ghost gun, a fake ID.

New York Mayor Eric Adams announced, "He's also in possession of several items that we believe will connect him to this incident."

Police also found a two-page document when they detained Mangione, and CNN is reporting some of what he allegedly wrote citing law enforcement sources -- "These parasites had it coming" and "I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done."

And this may be another clue. The I-Team's Dan Noyes has a backpack that's the same brand and color of the one found in Central Park after the killing. It's made by Peak Design, a San Francisco company. Each of these contain a serial number where the company can trace the purchase history. The owner of the company, Pete Dering, contacted authorities but texted us Monday, he has decided not to give interviews to the media.