Luigi Mangione, the particular person of curiosity recognized within the homicide of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had seemingly scheduled the discharge of a YouTube video simply hours earlier than his arrest.
An 84-second clip, titled The Reality, surfaced on a YouTube channel linked to Mangione on Monday, full with a 60-second timer on the display screen and textual content that learn: “Should you see this I’m already arrested.” The tip of the clip additionally featured textual content saying that “All is scheduled,” doubtless in reference to the discharge of one other YouTube video, and instructed viewers to “be affected person.” The video concluded with the quote “bye for now,” alongside a list of the date December 11. The cryptic video was uploaded beneath the username @PepMangione, which matches different social media accounts belonging to Mangione.
The video got here to gentle a number of hours after police made a serious break of their investigation into Thompson’s taking pictures, culminating in Mangione’s arrest and detainment as an individual of curiosity in connection to the homicide. In response to a number of shops, a second video was scheduled to be launched at 6:45pm EST on Monday, however the account has since been suspended by YouTube. “This video is now not obtainable,” a disclaimer reads when making an attempt to entry The Reality video on the time of writing, “as a result of the YouTube account related to this video has been suspended.”
Whereas the YouTube account was not formally confirmed to be Mangione’s, the person’s picture matches his description and look, in addition to the listed age of 26 years outdated. Within the account particulars, the person mentioned they have been educated on the College of Pennsylvania, the place Mangione was truly enrolled, and that they’d joined YouTube in January of this yr. The Reality clip was the one piece of content material shared by the account throughout its 11-month run.
Neither authorities nor Google have responded to the surfacing of the mysterious video, however Mangione’s different social media accounts, together with Fb and Instagram, have been deactivated hours after his arrest. It provides to what has change into an more and more stunning prison case, following a week-long manhunt for Mangione after Thompson was overtly gunned down outdoors a Hilton Lodge in New York on December 4. In the course of the seek for a suspect, investigators discovered a backpack within the close by Central Park believed to be owned by the gunman and containing cash from the board recreation Monopoly.
The manhunt then crossed state traces after the suspect was believed to have left New York Metropolis on an interstate bus, with Mangione finally being arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania after being observed by an worker at a McDonald’s restaurant. He was allegedly in possession of a handwritten word on the time of his arrest, which is alleged to incorporate quotes like “these parasites had it coming” and “I do apologise for any strife and trauma, however it needed to be completed.” Experiences are actually rising that Mangione’s homicide of Thompson was pushed by his disdain for the medical business due to the way it handled certainly one of his sick family members.
Mangione has change into one thing of an web sensation since first being recognized as a suspect within the case, with scores of netizens seeming to sympathize with the alleged killer on social media. It’s not but recognized whether or not a brand new YouTube account linked to Mangione will spring up following his authentic account’s deactivation, however the suspect made his first preliminary court docket look on Monday night.