Luigi Mangione 'considered bombing Manhattan' but decided against it because it 'could kill innocents' and chose 'targeted shooting' instead

This came after he shot Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, last Wednesday, before being on the run until his capture on Monday.

He was detained at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where police found him carrying a 3D-printed pistol and black silencer as well as an eerie manifesto condemning the American healthcare system.

CNN reported that Mangione also had a notebook in which he had written a “to-do list” ahead of the murder.

In it, he allegedly wrote about using a bomb to kill the CEO, but decided against it because it could kill innocent people.

He ultimately determined a shooting would be more targeted, and wrote that it couldn’t get any better than “to kill the CEO at his own bean-counting conference,” as Thompson was about to disclose the financial gains the company made this year.

It has been reported that law enforcement and investigators will view that sentence as a confession.

Mangione is expected to plead not guilty to both the gun possession charges in Pennsylvania and the murder charge in New York.

His lawyer Tom Dickey told reporters at a press conference that there is no evidence to suggest Mangione is the shooter.

He said: “I haven’t seen any evidence that says he’s the shooter. The fundamental concept of American justice is a presumption of innocence until you're proven guilty.”

His comments came after a dramatic court hearing that ended after Mangione was escorted out of the courtroom.

The suspect had a public meltdown on Tuesday and had to be restrained as he shouted at law enforcement while going into his hearing.

He yelled: “This is completely unjust and an insult to the American people.”

Authorities have said Mangione’s three-page manifesto - in which he spoke negatively about the American healthcare system - is being investigated.

In the document, the 26-year-old allegedly wrote about the huge size of UnitedHealthcare and how much it makes, condemning health insurance companies for prioritising profits over care.

He allegedly wrote: “To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn't working with anyone. This was fairly trivial: some elementary social engineering, basic CAD, [and] a lot of patience.”

“Frankly, these parasites had it coming.”

Details have emerged about Mangione’s own struggles with the medical world, as he has been living with a debilitating back injury.

His online activity also showed his extensive research into back pain.

In the manifesto he also hit out at UnitedHealthcare for how his mother was treated following her diagnosis of severe neuropathy.

He said his mother “hit her $6,000 deductible of her UnitedHealthcare plan in October. Then the doctor went on vacation and my mother wasn't able to resume tests until January when her deductible reset.”

He wrote: “With every delay, my anger surged. With every denial, I wanted to throw the doctor through the glass wall of their hospital waiting room, but it wasn't them.

“It wasn't the doctors, the receptionists, administrators, pharmacists, imaging technicians or anyone we ever met. What it was, was UnitedHealthcare.”

He said because UnitedHealthcare’s actions were legal, they couldn’t be punished, writing “UnitedHealthcare changed the rules to suit their own profits.”

His final sentence allegedly read: “UnitedHealthcare…violated their contract with my mother, with me, and tens of millions of other Americans.

"This threat to my own health, my family's health and the health of this country's people requires me to respond with an act of war.”

A recent report by the World Economic Forum found that the US had the most expensive healthcare in comparison with other Western countries.

It reported that the average American was spending an estimated $12,318 per person in 2021, compared to $7,383 spent per person in Germany, the second most expensive system.

Police have claimed Mangione viewed himself as a “hero” fighting a corrupt healthcare industry.