The CEO of the parent company that oversees UnitedHealthcare called slain former CEO Brian Thompson “one of the good guys” in a memo to employees.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was taken into custody Monday afternoon on gun charges at the fast-food restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after he allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Thompson, 50, outside a Manhattan hotel.
In the aftermath of the shooting, many online expressed outrage over the company’s history of rejecting necessary treatments — especially under Thompson — while praising the shooter for his actions.
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty has repeatedly tried to stem the tide of hatred toward Thompson in the wake of his death and did so again in a memo to employees on Wednesday.
“Brian was one of the good guys. He was certainly one of the smartest guys. I think he was one of the best guys. I’m going to miss him. And I am incredibly proud to call him my friend,” Witty wrote.
Witty did not refer to the anger toward Thompson and his company in the letter, but praised his former CEO.
“Many have said we are all a little better for knowing Brian. There is no truer statement than that. As we move forward, the best way to honor his life and all he stood for is to continue his legacy – by continuing to do right by the people who have entrusted us with their care and those who count on us. care for their loved ones.”
He added that employees “owe it to Brian to deliver on our promise to make healthcare work better for everyone, in every way possible.”
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty has repeatedly tried to stem the tide of hatred toward Brian Thompson in the wake of his death and did so again in a memo to employees on Wednesday.
“We’re going to make sure medications are filled, infusions are given, and people can stay on top of their therapies for the rarest of disease states,” Witty wrote, adding, “And we’ll be there when people come out of the hospital – even if only to hold their hands when they get back on their feet.”
Social media users still showed up on Thompson’s blood in the comments on independent journalist Ken Klippensteinwho received the letter.
“There is no such thing as a ‘good guy’ CEO in healthcare,” wrote one response.
Another added: ‘If you have to repeatedly insist that someone is a good person, instead of just clearly writing down what good they did, then he or she was not a good person.’
“Working in healthcare has made me realize how much of a scam this is,” snapped another. “If you have to tell yourself and others that you ‘love your job because you help others’ and at the same time make people choose death or bankruptcy, you are not helping others.”
Another added: “This sums up corporate America so well. They are deaf to their core, no wonder it is so easy for them to deny life-saving care to millions of Americans every year.”
Klipstein himself wrote: “Staff are frustrated with the tone-deaf response.”
It has since been alleged that Mangione had a manifesto against UnitedHealthcare after suffering a debilitating back injury that required painful spine surgery.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was taken into custody on gun charges Monday afternoon at the fast-food restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after he allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Thompson (pictured), 50, outside a Manhattan hotel.
Social media users continued to mention Thompson’s blood in responses to independent 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 corporate America.”
A law enforcement official who was not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation and who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the document included a sentence in which Mangione claimed to have acted alone.
“I’ll keep it short for the FBI because I respect what you do for our country. To spare you a lengthy investigation, I clearly state that I have not collaborated with anyone,” the official said in the document.
It also included a sentence that said, “I apologize for any conflict or trauma, but it had to be done.” Honestly, these parasites just got it.”
He made his first court appearance after he was charged with murder on Tuesday – pouting as he was escorted out of the hearing after having a savage public meltdown hours earlier.
The orange jumpsuit-clad suspect had to be restrained as he shouted at police as he entered the courtroom in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Mangione was arrested Monday at a McDonald’s in Altoona.
Thomas Dickey, Mangione’s attorney, said Tuesday night that his client will also plead not guilty to the gun possession charges he faces in Pennsylvania.
The wealthy CEO was in the Big Apple to host UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor meeting, where he would explain the insurance company’s huge profits for the year.
It has since been alleged that Mangione had a manifesto against UnitedHealthcare after suffering a debilitating back injury that required painful spine surgery.
Surveillance camera footage showed him walking outside a Hilton hotel in downtown Manhattan when he was shot by three bullets at close range.
It was later discovered that the shell casings had the words “deny,” “defend,” and “deposit” written on them, in an apparent attack on the practice of health insurance.
It is assumed Mangione was angry about the way health insurers treated a sick family member, the newspaper said New York Post.
No further details about that family member or their identity have been shared, although online obituaries show Mangione lost a grandmother in 2013 and a grandfather in 2017.
His X account also contains an X-ray of a complicated neck operation.
The former valedictorian was also in possession of a 3D printed pistol and a black silencer, with police noting the pistol was loaded with a single Glock magazine containing six 9mm all-metal bullets.
A loose 9mm hollow point bullet was also found.
Altoona Police Department officers remained stationed at the restaurant Monday evening as surveillance footage captured the moment Mangione was arrested.
Luigi Mangione, 26, was taken into custody Monday afternoon on gun charges
Authorities later confirmed that Mangione got off a Greyhound bus across from the McDonald’s around 9 a.m. Monday morning after leading NYPD officers on a cross-country chase.
Staff at nearby restaurants say they were unaware that the killer had been apprehended just meters from their doors, and simply remembered that local police cars had been in the area.
Agents now believe Mangione had been in Pennsylvania for several days after Thompson’s Dec. 4 killing, 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,” Lt. Col. George Bivens said.
“And before we start putting together a timeline of his travels, we need to go through all that first.”
Mangione is now due back in court for a preliminary hearing on December 23.