ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News wanted to learn more about what goes through the mind of someone who decides to plot, pursue, and kill.
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On Tuesday, Channel 2′s Audrey Washington sat down with Georgia State University Professor of Criminology, Dr. Thaddeus Johnson.
“Yeah, he’s charged with murder, but when we’re talking about it I view it as an assassination,” said Johnson.
The murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson has shocked the nation and beyond.
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Police say the suspect waited for Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel before he shot him, execution-style earlier this month.
Then, police searched for the suspect for days. This week, police arrested 26-year-old Luigi Magione after someone recognized his face in an Altoona, Pennsylvania McDonalds.
“This killing was symbolic. It was bigger than the victim,” said Johnson.
Police charged Magione with murder. They said he targeted Thompson; the exact reason why is still unconfirmed.
But police said they found a handwritten note by Magione that read, “These parasites had it coming.”
“He had an axe to grind with corporate America,” Johnson said.
Johnson has never personally analyzed Magione but he has studied those who’ve committed assassination-style murders.
“Murder is premeditated but it’s usually not so meticulous because of the irrationality and emotionality behind it. This man had the means, the motivation, and the opportunity,” Dr. Johnson explained.
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“He didn’t necessarily have a personal grievance with this person. It was about what he represented as a CEO,” he added.
Johnson said Magione might have been radicalized by the writings of other murderers.
He said Magione’s mugshot picture is particularly telling.
“That look is a look of defiance, but also a look of satisfaction, a look of mission accomplished,” said Dr. Johnson.