Brian Thompson, the suspect in the shooting, Luigi Mangione, suffered a back injury so severe that he could no longer have sex, a former roommate said.
RJ Martin lived with the murder suspect in a co-living space in Hawaii for six months and told The New York Times about 26-year-old Mangione’s secret pain.
“He knew that dating and being physically intimate was not possible with his back condition,” Martin told The Times.
“I remember him telling me that, and it just breaks my heart.”
Martin explained the injury Mangione suffered after a back condition called spondylolisthesis was aggravated by a surfing accident: “His spine was a bit misaligned.
“He said his lower vertebrae were almost half an inch away, and I think there was a pinched nerve.”
Martin told CNN that Mangione, who he described as a smart engineer, suffered debilitating pain during his six-month stay at SurfBreak in 2022.
He said that after a single surfing lesson, Mangione was “in bed for a week,” adding, “It was really traumatic and difficult, you know, when you’re in your early 20s and you don’t know what basic skills you can do.” things.’
Luigi Mangione, right, suffered a debilitating back injury that left him unable to have sex, a former roommate said
Mangione stayed in bed for a week after trying a surfing lesson, RJ Martin said
RJ Martin lived with Mangione for six months in 2022 and was stunned by the news of the murder he is accused of
Martin said Mangione and other residents of the co-living space would talk about medical issues and capitalism.
But he insisted the suspected killer never gave the impression of being angry or radicalized.
He also said Mangione did not complain of his back pain and did not appear to be taking painkillers.
Mangione’s health problems are also believed to have caused professional problems for the University of Pennsylvania graduate, who worked as an engineer for online car sales company TrueCar after graduating.
A Reddit poster believed to be Mangione talked about how he had lived with a back condition called spondylolisthesis since childhood.
In spondylolisthesis, a bone in the spine, known as a vertebra, slips outward. The condition usually affects the lower back and can be extremely painful.
Also posted by the same Reddit user were complaints of Lyme disease and severe brain fog.
The user said he started experiencing problems during his fraternity’s “hell week” and subsequently saw his grades drop.
The Reddit user, believed to be Mangione, said a subsequent surfing accident left him with a “locked up” back and hips.
He added that “the intermittent numbness has become constant,” adding, “I’m terrified of the consequences.”
Mangione is believed to have undergone back surgery sometime in 2023, but it is feared he may have had lingering complications afterwards
Mangione is pictured second from left with a group of friends during a stay in Hawaii
Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson at point-blank range on December 5
Weeks afterward, the user, believed to be Mangione, said he had spinal surgery that he said improved his symptoms.
The procedure likely cost tens of thousands of dollars. It is unclear what, if any, health care coverage is available
He said nothing about United Healthcare, whose CEO Mangione is accused of committing a murder on a Manhattan street in the early hours of December 4.
Mangione shared a photo of an X-ray on his X-ray showing multiple screws in his spine.
Martin, his former roommate from Hawaii, said Mangione sent him a similar-sounding photo that “looked horrific” before they lost touch earlier this year.
Mangione is pictured in a police cell Monday night after his arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania
Mangione was arrested early Monday while eating at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and arraigned in local court late Monday night.
He will now be extradited to New York City to face murder charges.
Mangione comes from a wealthy family, with his grandfather a self-made multi-millionaire who owned a luxury resort, nursing homes and a radio station.
He attended the $40,000-a-year Gilman Preparatory School in Baltimore and graduated as valedictorian in 2016.
A clip shared widely online after Mangione’s arrest shows him speaking confidently and eloquently on stage, with former classmate Aaron Cranston describing him as exceptionally intelligent.
His family have expressed their condolences to the family of Brian Thompson and appealed for privacy.