It has been almost two weeks since the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, America’s largest private health insurance company, was killed in a brazen daylight assassination in the middle of New York City.

The nearly week-long manhunt that followed captivated the world, and has triggered a wave of anger directed at the healthcare system in the U.S. This week, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione was arrested for the murder.

According to his lawyer, he will plead not guilty – but will have to overcome a tsunami of incriminating evidence when the case is heard, including a handwritten letter found in his backpack when he was arrested that centres around a critique of corporate America.

This is a story that has developed rapidly – if you missed a few days of coverage, it was quite challenging to get back on track. So here’s a rundown of what has happened in the murder case of Brian Thompson, the subsequent manhunt, and the arrest of Mangione.

This story starts when a man arrives in New York on 24 November, just over a week before the shooting. That night, he took a cab to New York Hilton Midtown, which was the very location where Brian Thompson would later be shot.

After spending about an hour there, the man checked into the HI New York City Hostel. At the hostel, there were several signs of suspicious behaviour. He hid his face with a mask even when eating (except for the now-infamous moment where he smiled at the receptionist), he used cash the whole time, and he didn’t speak to anyone. Police would later discover he also used a fake ID.

A week after he arrived, in the early hours of 4 December, he left the hostel.

That morning, Brian Thompson, the CEO of one of the largest health insurance companies in the U.S, was on his way to a conference. Many of us have now seen the footage: Thompson walking, unaware as the shooter calmly approaches from behind, raising his gun, and firing. The shooter used a silencer, which suppressed the sound of the blast.

The suspect then got on a bike, cycled to Central Park, disposed of his backpack, and cycled away. He then took a cab, followed by a bus interstate.

Police later recovered the backpack in Central Park, which had monopoly money in it.

What ensued was a nationwide manhunt for this suspect.

To bolster efforts, police released a couple of photos of the suspect to the public.

The NYPD also announced a $10,000 reward for anyone who provided information that led to the arrest of their suspect, while the FBI offered an additional $50,000.

The interesting element to this manhunt, and perhaps what separates it from other events of this nature, was that many people online were actively calling for the suspect to be protected.

While police and detectives were pushing for the public to come forward with any information they had about the suspect (and it’s important to note here that police knew nothing about Mangione at this point), much of the online world was dictating that the public do the complete opposite.

In the end, however, a member of the public was the one who spotted Mangione and tipped off police.

On 9 December, New York authorities held a press conference explaining they had arrested a man named Luigi Mangione in relation to the murder of Brian Thompson.

Just after 9am that day, Mangione had been eating at a McDonald’s in western Pennsylvania, about 450 km from where the shooting took place, when he was recognised by others there. An employee decided to call the police.

Court documents tell us that the man was wearing a medical mask and sitting alone with a laptop when police approached him. Above is a photo released by Pennsylvania State Police showing his appearance when he was approached.

When asked if he had been to New York recently, police said “the male became quiet and started to shake”.

Police told us he was carrying multiple fake IDs, including one that matched the fake ID given to the hostel. He was carrying a gun and a silencer, which they said were consistent with the ones used in the murder. He had a hand-written document on him, which illustrated “ill will toward corporate America” and accused healthcare companies of putting profits above care. He had clothing and masks on him that matched the ones worn by the suspect in the CCTV footage.

There were enough signs, police said, for him to be taken into custody. Within hours, Mangione was charged with the murder of the healthcare CEO.

Mangione was born in the U.S. state of Maryland and his last known address was in Hawaii.

For the first few hours following his arrest, much of Mangione’s online footprint remained untouched. We were able to find his Linkedin and Twitter pages within minutes.

According to his Linkedin, Mangione had two degrees. He had a master’s and a bachelor’s in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania, which is an Ivy League college.

We also know that he graduated from high school in 2016 as valedictorian - meaning he was top of his graduating class.

All in all, a lot of the commentary that followed Mangione’s arrest underscored the fact that he was a well-educated person.

This murder has amplified a wave of frustration being directed at the healthcare system in the U.S.

For those not familiar with the healthcare system in the U.S, they don’t have Medicare like we do in Australia – they have no universal healthcare system.

So to have healthcare, you need to go through a private company, which is extremely expensive. Mostly employers are the ones who pay for people’s health insurance. But even then, private health insurance mostly doesn’t cover the full amount of medical expenses. And on top of that, it’s about one in five claims that get rejected by health insurance companies.

In real-world terms, that means if you go to a U.S. emergency room for a broken arm and get an X-ray and a cast, you walk out with a bill ranging from the hundreds to the thousands. If you have private health insurance, you might be able to claim some of that money back, but only if your claim is accepted.

One thing we haven't mentioned about the killing is the words “delay, deny, depose”. Those words were etched on the ammunition found at the murder scene of Brian Thompson. We don’t know exactly how the shooter intended for those words to be interpreted, but it is widely inferred he is claiming those are tactics used by health insurance companies to avoid paying claims.

This story has been a fascinating example of how any two people can see one event completely differently.

For some, it’s a story about a brazen murder that occurred in broad daylight. For those who see it that way, it’s now about bringing justice for Brian Thompson, and the family he leaves behind.

For others, and indeed much of the online world, it’s a story about a bigger problem with the U.S. healthcare system. For those who see it that way, it’s about deconstructing systemic issues with a system they believe puts profits above people.

As you can see, these are two very different readings of a singular event. So, we’re curious: How do you see it? What do you think?

Hit respond to this email to tell us!

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This week’s good news wrap includes the youngest-ever chess world champion, Australians killing it at the Short Course World Championships, and a new bill that has passed the US Senate to fund CPR training and access to Automated External Defibrillators in schools.