It was on Wednesday morning last week that Thompson, CEO of the American insurance giant United Healthcare, was shot with multiple shots at a hotel on Manhattan.
The man suspected of the crime was arrested at a fast-food restaurant on Monday and was formally charged with the crime hours later.
According to American media, he grew up in a wealthy family in the state of Baltimore. After graduating from high school with top grades, he went on to the University of Pennsylvania, one of the world's most prestigious educational institutions, where he graduated in computer science and mathematics in 2020.
Former colleague shocked
After his studies, he worked as a software engineer for an online-based car company. He is a registered voter in his home state but has not declared any party affiliation.
A former colleague of the 26-year-old describes him to CNN as outgoing and charming.
I'm shocked. I never got the impression that he would destroy himself in this way, says the former colleague.
Injured his back
But in 2022, his life took a dark turn when he was involved in a surfing accident that resulted in an operation where he had screws inserted into his back.
On a user account on the forum Reddit linked to the 26-year-old, posts have been published that also suggest that he suffered from brain fatigue.
On the site Goodreads, where users review books, an account matching his name lists around hundreds of titles as either "read" or "want to read". Among the books are several on the theme of chronic back pain.
Appreciated the Unabomber's manifesto
A title that stands out in particular in this context is the manifesto of Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber. In his review of the book from January, the 26-year-old describes Kaczynski as having "had the guts to realize that peaceful protests haven't taken us anywhere" and that the expression "violence solves nothing" is to be regarded as something "for cowards".
He was also an active user on X and wrote posts about everything from mental health and weightlifting to architecture. But since mid-June this year, he appears to have written nothing and not responded to those who tried to contact him on the platform.
"I haven't heard from you in several months", writes a user to him.
