The CEO of the parent company that oversees UnitedHealthcare called slain former CEO Brian Thompson “one of the good guys” in a memo to staff.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested on gun charges Monday afternoon at a fast-food restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after he allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Thompson, 50. years, outside a Manhattan hotel.
After the shooting, many expressed outrage online at the company’s history of refusing necessary treatment, especially under Thompson, while praising the gunman for his actions.
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty has repeatedly tried to stem the tide of hate toward Thompson in the wake of his death and did so again in a memo to staff members Wednesday.
‘Brian was one of the good ones. He was certainly one of the smartest guys. I think he was one of the best kids. I’m going to miss him. And I am incredibly proud to call him my friend,” Witty wrote.
Witty made no reference to anger toward Thompson and his company in the letter, but he did praise his former CEO.
‘Many have said that we are all a little better for knowing Brian. There is no statement more true than that. As we begin to move forward, the best way to honor his life and all he stood for is to continue his legacy: to continue doing right by the people who have entrusted us with their care and those who count on us to care for them. darlings.’
He added that employees “owe it to Brian to deliver on our promise to make healthcare work better for everyone, in every way.”
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty has repeatedly tried to stem the tide of hate toward Brian Thompson in the wake of his death and did so again in a memo to staff members Wednesday.
“We are going to make sure medications are filled, infusions are given, and people can continue their therapies for the rarest disease states,” Witty wrote, adding: “And we will be there when people leave the hospital, though. just to hold their hand as they stand up.
Social media users were still out for Thompson’s blood in the responses to Freelance journalist Ken Klippensteinwho got the letter.
“There is no such thing as a ‘nice guy’ healthcare CEO,” wrote one response.
Another added: “If you have to repeatedly insist that someone was a good person instead of just clearly stating the good they did, they were not a good person.”
“Working in the health sector has made me understand how much of a scam it is,” snapped another. “When you need to tell yourself and others that ‘you love your job because you are helping others’ and at the same time make people choose death or bankruptcy, you are not helping others.”
One more added: ‘This sums up corporate America very well. Deaf to the core, it’s no wonder they find it so easy to deny life-saving care to millions of Americans each year.’
Klippenstein himself wrote: “Staff are frustrated by how tone-deaf the response has been.”
It has since been claimed that Mangione had a manifesto against UnitedHealthcare after suffering a debilitating back injury that required painful spinal surgery.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested on gun charges Monday afternoon at a fast food restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after he allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Thompson (pictured). photo), 50, outside a Manhattan hotel.
Social media users were still out for Thompson’s blood in responses to freelance journalist Ken Klippenstein, who obtained the letter.
At a news conference, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione had a three-page handwritten document showing “ill will toward American companies.”
A law enforcement official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the document included a line in which Mangione claimed to have acted alone.
‘For the feds, I will be brief, because I respect what they do for our country. “To save you a lengthy investigation, I clearly state that I was not working with anyone,” the document said, according to the official.
It also had a line that said, “I apologize for any conflict or trauma, but it had to be done.” Frankly, these parasites just had it coming.’
He made his first court appearance after being charged with murder on Tuesday – pouting as he was escorted out of the audience, after suffering a fierce public crisis hours before.
The suspect dressed in an orange jumpsuit had to be restrained while shouting at police as he made his way to court. in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona on Monday.
Thomas Dickey, Mangione’s attorney, said Tuesday night that his client will also plead not guilty to the weapons charges he faces in Pennsylvania.
The wealthy CEO was in the Big Apple to host UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor meeting, where he would detail the insurance company’s huge profits for the year.
It has since been claimed that Mangione had a manifesto against UnitedHealthcare after suffering a debilitating back injury that required painful spinal surgery.
Surveillance camera footage showed him walking outside a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan when he was shot three times at point-blank range.
The shell casings were later discovered to have the words “deny,” “defend,” “depose” written on them, in an apparent attack on health insurance practices.
it is believed Mangione was angry about the way the health insurance industry treated a sick family member, according to the New York Post.
No further details have been shared about that relative or his identity, although online obituaries show Mangione lost a grandmother in 2013 and a grandfather in 2017.
His X account also shows an x-ray from complicated neck surgery.
The former valedictorian was also in possession of a 3D-printed pistol and a black silencer, and police noted that the pistol was loaded with a Glock magazine consisting of six 9mm metal jacket rounds.
A loose 9mm hollow point bullet was also located.
Altoona Police Department officers remained stationed inside the restaurant Monday night as surveillance footage showed the moment Mangione was arrested.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested Monday afternoon on firearms charges.
Authorities later confirmed that Mangione got off a Greyhound bus in front of McDonald’s around 9 a.m. Monday morning after leading New York police officers on a cross-country chase.
Staff at nearby restaurants say they were unaware that the killer had been arrested just meters from their doors, simply remembering that local police cars had been nearby.
Officers now believe Mangione had been in Pennsylvania for several days after Thompson’s murder on December 4, and may have previously spent time in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. according to the New York Times.
“We have an idea of how he got from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, but there are some gaps in time,” said Lt. Col. George Bivens.
“And before we start plotting a chronology of his journey, we really need to work through all of that.”
Mangione is now due back in court for a preliminary hearing on December 23.