A mind-boggling update (for me) in the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO

I've been covering the story. Then I learned the alleged shooter attended the same schools as me.

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I’ve been one of the Washington Post reporters covering last week’s shock killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

The story had some personal ties for me — I worked for a firm that was later acquired by UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of the insurer, so I have friends and former colleagues who came to know and like Brian Thompson. (Their stories about “BT,” the person behind the headlines, helped inform my own coverage.)

The cultural reaction to Thompson’s killing also hit home professionally. I’d written tough articles about UnitedHealth’s practices, including how they’d denied some patients’ requests for care, and broader stories about the failings of America’s health system. So the outpouring of anger toward the company the past few days hadn’t been much of a surprise.

Then the news broke Monday that the police had a suspect in custody.

And as I was starting to read, my brother texted me something that continues to boggle my brain.

Luigi Mangione attended Baltimore’s Gilman School — like me. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania — again, like me.¹ We were separated by many years, and I don’t believe we’ve ever met.

But of all the people who could have possibly been implicated in the shooting death of Brian Thompson, a person whose life and career already bumped up against mine, it’s someone who somehow is even closer.

Luigi Mangione and I walked similar paths growing up — literal paths criss-crossing school campuses, sometimes on the way to the same teachers — even if our lives have, obviously, gone in very different directions. His family’s name is one I know.

I posted in a few places on Monday about our early reporting on Mangione, while acknowledging (per The Post’s reporting guidelines) that I’d obtained some of that information via our shared connections, such as a note that I received that was sent to Gilman alumni.

Those posts helped bring in some good tips from people who knew Luigi at Gilman, Penn and other stops. They’ve been very helpful as I continue to report.

To be honest, I’m writing this Substack with hopes that more people will see it and similarly share ideas and leads. My email is Dan.Diamond@washpost.com, and I can receive texts and calls at 650-485-1374.

Every turn in this story continues to be a surprise, to say the least.

1. Luigi Mangione also did a Stanford University summer program before his senior year at Penn. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but, again, like me.