David Kaczynski, the brother of Ted Kaczynski, also known as the “Unabomber,” who was responsible for a series of mail bombings that resulted in three deaths and numerous injuries between 1978 and 1995, has expressed his dismay over reports that Luigi Mangione, the alleged shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shown an interest in his brother. However, another acquaintance of Mangione mentioned that he disapproved of Kaczynski.
Mangione, who was apprehended on Monday and charged with Thompson’s murder, had previously left a four-star review for Kaczynski’s book, “Industrial Society and Its Future,” on Goodreads in January. In his review, Mangione acknowledged that while it was easy to dismiss the book as the ramblings of a “lunatic,” he found himself sympathetic to the “uncomfortable problems it identifies.” The review, which was made private on Monday, also included a quote from another individual suggesting that “violence is necessary to survive.”
In an interview with NBC News on Tuesday, David Kaczynski voiced his concern that his brother’s actions might have influenced Mangione’s alleged behavior. He described the Unabomber’s behavior as “like a virus,” which could be easily misinterpreted by those who fail to recognize that Ted Kaczynski was “a very angry and disturbed man.” David emphasized that portraying his brother’s violent acts as beneficial to humanity is a grave error.
The exact nature of the connection between Kaczynski and Mangione’s alleged actions remains unclear, and the police have not provided detailed explanations regarding Mangione’s suspected motive. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that Mangione was found with a handwritten document that shed light on his “motivation and mindset” at the time of his arrest, but this manifesto has not been made public.
An internal NYPD report, obtained by The New York Times and CNN, indicated that Mangione viewed the targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO as a symbolic act and a direct challenge to the company’s alleged corruption and “power games.” In his note, Mangione asserted that he was the “first to face it with such brutal honesty.”