A former Washington Post and New York Times journalist sparked controversy with her shocking social media comments following the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan, New York on Wednesday, December 4.
Taylor Lorenz, who previously worked for major news organizations, posted multiple statements on social media platform BlueSky about Thompson’s death, including sharing a post about healthcare coverage and commenting “And people wonder why we want these executives dead.”
The murder occurred outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel in Manhattan. New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the shooting as “a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack” rather than a random act of violence.
Law enforcement recovered evidence from the scene, including shell casings inscribed with the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose.” The NYPD released surveillance footage showing a person of interest wearing a hooded jacket as well as other images of the suspect.
Thompson did not have personal security despite known threats against him. The shooting has led other healthcare executives to seek increased security measures.
Lorenz later defended her comments, stating she was not advocating for violence but rather highlighting issues within the healthcare system. “I hope people learn the names of all of these insurance company CEOs and engage in very peaceful letter-writing campaigns so that they stop ruthlessly murdering thousands of innocent Americans by denying coverage,” she wrote.
The incident has sparked widespread online discussion about healthcare coverage and insurance practices. The Network Contagion Research Institute identified thousands of posts about the incident, with reactions coming from across the political spectrum.
Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, addressed the situation by stating, “Two things can be true: The health insurance system is broken and must be fixed, and also gun violence and murder is wrong.” She vividly remembers the seemingly unending and futile struggles her family faced with UnitedHealthcare to obtain the necessary coverage for her late stepfather, who was suffering from glioblastoma in the early 2000s.
Online reactions to Thompson’s death have bridged political divides, drawing comments from both left-wing and right-wing individuals. The response has highlighted ongoing tensions between the public and health insurance providers, with many sharing personal experiences of denied claims and high healthcare costs.
In an unusual development, popular true crime content creators and internet sleuths, typically eager to assist in high-profile cases, have explicitly stated they will not help authorities identify the shooter.
The hostel where the suspect stayed has received negative online reviews, with some critics calling the workers “narcs” for cooperating with police.
According to research, 45% of insured adults report being charged for services they believed should have been covered by their insurance. Healthcare-related expenses remain the leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States.
The incident has raised concerns about threats facing healthcare executives in what experts describe as a climate of increasing violence. Some analysts note that norms of violence are expanding into the commercial sector.
Healthcare policy experts point out that the U.S. healthcare system differs significantly from other developed nations with socialized medicine, describing it as “very piecemeal.”
While Thompson’s colleagues and political figures have expressed shock and condemned the violence, many online commenters have focused on discussing their experiences with insurance companies and the broader healthcare system.
The public response has led to increased security measures within the healthcare industry. Centene, another major health insurer, has decided to hold its investor day virtually following the incident.
Thompson leaves behind a wife and two sons. His wife described herself as “shattered” by her husband’s death.
Latest update as of Monday, Dec 9 at 2:30 EST: A suspect named Luigi Mangione, 26, was apprehended at a McDonald’s restaurant. At the time of his arrest, authorities found him in possession of multiple items of concern.
Mangione reportedly had a manifesto in his possession when he was arrested by police in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
The former Ivy League student and valedictorian from his prep school was also found with a ghost gun, a silencer, four counterfeit IDs, and other materials that matched what investigators were seeking in connection with the case, according to sources.
Mangione, originally from Maryland but who recently listed a Hawaii address, was captured after a McDonald’s worker identified him and alerted the police, according to sources.
Police had been tracking Mangione’s movements:
He arrived in New York City by Greyhound bus from Atlanta, Georgia, on November 24 and checked into a hostel on the Upper West Side using a fraudulent New Jersey driver’s license.
On December 4, surveillance footage captured the man’s activities starting at 5:30 a.m., when he left the hostel. By 5:41 a.m., he had positioned himself near the New York Hilton Midtown, where UnitedHealthcare was hosting its annual investors’ day meeting.
The suspect was seen walking back and forth on West 54th Street before entering a nearby Starbucks. Around 6:30 a.m., cameras recorded him making a phone call near the location where the shooting would occur.
At approximately 6:40 a.m., the gunman, who appeared to be lying in wait, shot Thompson in the chest. After the shooting, the suspect fled on an electric bicycle through Central Park.
Investigators recovered key evidence from the scene, including 9mm shell casings marked with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose.” Police also found a backpack in Central Park containing a Tommy Hilfiger jacket and Monopoly money.
Additional evidence includes a cell phone and a water bottle that are assumed to belong to the suspect. DNA samples and a partial fingerprint were obtained from these items.
Forty-six minutes after the shooting, the suspect was seen near a Port Authority bus station. He then took a taxi to an area near the George Washington Bridge.
A combined reward of $60,000 was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman. The FBI offered $50,000 of this amount, while the NYPD contributed $10,000.
Surveillance footage from the hostel captured images of the suspect’s face when he briefly removed his mask while speaking with a desk clerk. These photos were distributed to law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Mangione, known as a “tech-whiz,” reportedly harbored resentment towards the medical field due to its treatment of an ill family member, according to sources.
The manifesto in his possession was comprised of two-and-a-half handwritten pages that reflected the quotes Mangione had shared on his Goodreads account from the eccentric anti-establishment figure Ted Kaczynski, known as the notorious Unabomber, who instilled fear across the nation for nearly 20 years by carrying out deadly bombings until his arrest in 1996.