The recent tragedy involving Luigi Mangione and United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson has forced us to confront uncomfortable truths, not just about violence but about the frustrations and inequalities that exist in the healthcare system. While violence is never the answer, it’s hard to ignore the systemic failures that push so many Americans to the brink.

A Privileged Start and a Troubled End

Luigi Mangione was no stranger to privilege. As a graduate of the prestigious Gilman School in Baltimore, one of the nation’s top private schools, he had opportunities most people can only dream of. Gilman prides itself on fostering leaders and instilling a commitment to service, but Luigi’s life clearly took a different path.

The question is, how does someone with such an upbringing end up committing an act of such violence? Some will chalk it up to individual failure or mental instability, but that ignores the larger context. Even those with privileged backgrounds aren’t immune to the pressures and injustices of the systems we live under—especially healthcare, which touches every life, regardless of socioeconomic status.

The Reality of Healthcare in America

For many Marylanders, and Americans at large, healthcare isn’t just a service—it’s a source of stress, confusion, and, often, despair. We’re bombarded with jargon-filled policies, surprise bills, and denied claims, all while paying exorbitant premiums for the privilege of staying alive.

United Healthcare, like many other insurance giants, is a symbol of everything wrong with the system. These companies post massive profits while ordinary people struggle to afford basic care. They make decisions that determine whether you get the treatment you need or have to choose between paying for medication and putting food on the table. It’s hard to feel sympathy for executives at the helm of these corporations when their decisions so often prioritize shareholders over patients.

Brian Thompson, as CEO of United Healthcare, represented this broken system. While it’s tragic that his life ended violently, his position at the top of a corporation profiting off human vulnerability makes it difficult for many to view him as a victim in the larger sense. For every executive bonus paid out, there’s a family denied coverage for life-saving treatment. For every new corporate headquarters, there’s a hospital room left understaffed.

The Boiling Point

Luigi Mangione’s actions were abhorrent, but they didn’t happen in a vacuum. Americans are fed up. They’re fed up with being treated like commodities instead of people, with spending hours fighting insurance companies on the phone, with being buried in medical debt despite working full-time jobs.

Marylanders are no exception. We’ve seen our share of hardworking families crippled by healthcare costs. We’ve watched as rural hospitals shut down and urban clinics become overburdened. We’ve experienced the frustration of being told that the care we need isn’t “covered.”

Did Mangione’s education at Gilman prepare him for the realities of these struggles? Perhaps not. Private schools like Gilman can offer an exceptional education, but they often insulate students from the day-to-day challenges most people face. Maybe that insulation cracked when Mangione faced his own struggles with the system, pushing him to a breaking point.

A Broken System, Not Just Broken People

While the focus will inevitably remain on Mangione’s actions and Thompson’s death, we must not lose sight of the bigger picture. This tragedy is a symptom of a healthcare system that dehumanizes patients and prioritizes profits over well-being.

If there’s one thing we should take from this, it’s that the status quo isn’t sustainable. Marylanders, like all Americans, deserve a healthcare system that works for people—not against them. We deserve transparency, affordability, and dignity.

Moving Forward

As a Marylander, I can’t condone Luigi Mangione’s actions, but I also can’t ignore the pain and frustration that so many feel under the weight of a broken healthcare system. We must demand better—not just from CEOs but from lawmakers, insurers, and the entire industry.

Because until we fix the system, tragedies like this will continue to remind us of its failings in the most painful ways.