"Like a Scene from a Movie"... Murderer of Starred US Insurance CEO Becomes a Hot Topic

"Absolute Legend" "CEO Hunter"
Strong Support from Locals

Luigi Manzoni, who was arrested on charges of murdering Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealth Group's insurance division in the United States. Photo by NBC

Photos have been released showing Luigi Manzoni arriving in New York, who is accused of murdering Brian Thompson, CEO of the insurance division at UnitedHealth Group in the United States.

On the 19th (local time), foreign media including CNN and NBC reported that Manzoni, arrested on charges of killing CEO Thompson, was transferred from Pennsylvania, where he was initially detained, to New York. Surrounded by dozens of law enforcement officers, he arrived in Manhattan and is reportedly facing four charges including stalking and firearm homicide. The released video and photos show Manzoni being escorted while wearing an orange prison uniform. Authorities stated that Manzoni’s laptop contained several writings expressing hostility toward the health insurance industry and executives who accumulate wealth through it. Local netizens who saw the news reacted to Manzoni’s photos by saying, “It looks like a scene from a movie” and “The photo came out too well.”

Despite being a suspect, Manzoni currently enjoys significant support from the American public. According to foreign media, on June 11 alone, $31,000 was raised for Manzoni through the crowdfunding site GiveSendGo. On TikTok, short-form videos featuring Manzoni’s photos and footage with messages such as “He is an absolute legend” are spreading widely. There is even a website selling T-shirts and hats printed with Manzoni’s image. The T-shirts include slogans like “Free Luigi” and “CEO Hunter.”

A mug with Luigi Manzoni's face engraved (left) and a tattoo of his photo (right). SNS

Locals criticize the blind spots of the U.S. health insurance system and the behavior of insurance companies, venerating Manzoni as a hero and forming a kind of fandom. One netizen claimed on GiveSendGo that “Manzoni’s actions are ‘justified murder’” and criticized private health insurers by saying, “Denying people health insurance coverage is murder, yet no one is prosecuted for such crimes.” Additionally, the release of past photos showing Manzoni’s muscular physique and the revelation that he is an elite who graduated top of his class from a prestigious private high school and earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science from the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania contributed to increasing public interest.

Meanwhile, Manzoni is accused of shooting and killing Thompson with a handgun on the morning of the 4th at around 6:44 a.m. on the sidewalk at the entrance of the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, New York, where Thompson was attending an annual investor event. Thompson had worked at UnitedHealth Group for over 20 years and became CEO of the group’s core health insurance division in 2021. Manzoni evaded capture using forged identification but was arrested on the morning of the 9th at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an employee reported him. At the time, he was carrying the handgun believed to have been used in the crime and a statement criticizing the profit-seeking behavior of health insurance companies. The document reportedly included phrases such as “Honestly, these parasites have it coming” and “I apologize for causing conflict and trauma. But it was something that had to be done.”