In New York City on December 4, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was walking down the street when he was shot by a mysterious man in what seemed to be a very elaborately planned attack. That very man was then spotted in a McDonald’s on December 9, five days after the murder, and was immediately arrested.
By now, I’m sure you have already heard of the story of Luigi Mangione and how he allegedly shot the UnitedHealthcare CEO because he was denied insurance for his back injury. Whether it was from the fact he’d become a social media sensation, word of mouth, or simply being up-to-date with the news, his sudden eruption to fame also came with bundles of conspiracy theories. Some claim Mangione was a criminal mastermind who meticulously planned the murder, while others have different theories. In particular, many endorsed the “286 theory.” If Mangione is truly innocent of the stated crimes, then his connection to Thompson and the number 286 is truly the world’s largest coincidence. That said, it also alludes to a much more pressing issue: the serious flaws in our healthcare system that must catch our attention.
The “286 theory” stems from Mangione’s X account banner, which displayed a photo of himself — an X-ray of his spine injury and the screws inside of his spine — and Breloom, a Pokémon character with Pokedex number 286. Mangione also had exactly 286 posts on the account and was reported and arrested in a McDonald’s that was 286 miles away from the murder scene in front of the Hilton Hotel. Even in the Bible, Proverbs 28:6 reads “Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.” Thompson, who had created an AI algorithm to deny insurance to allegedly 90 percent of people for more profit, seems to resemble the “rich man who is crooked in his ways,” and Mangione, the alleged killer, as the “poor man who walks in his integrity.” If that wasn’t enough, there’s an even more eerie connection. The number 286 is the denial code used when a claim for healthcare is rejected because the appeal wasn’t submitted within the required time frame.
Seeing this string of events, I believe this is no coincidence. The repeated appearance of this number, the parallels between each meaning, and Mangione’s use of it show he is not an unfortunate bystander who was caught up in a whirlwind of accusations for no reason — although he pleads as innocent. He must know something about the case or is simply a symbolic killer. The inclusion of his spine injury with screws next to an image of Breloom, with the Pokedex number of 286, is no mistake; it’s almost a signature and meaning behind a crime. Therefore, I believe Mangione must have known what he was doing by connecting the injury and the number he used to justify his revenge. Denial code 286 applies to Mangione himself, who was confirmed to be denied care, and likely as a result resorted to violence to resolve his issues. If our system continues to take advantage of our problems, there’ll be many more instances like Mangione’s.
Although the theory is interesting, a larger issue this conspiracy theory sheds light on is how society reacts to people who go against the system. Mangione had a reason for his crimes, but nonetheless is still a criminal we should not cross the line past theorizing into glorification. We try to focus on whether the conspiracy theory is real or not instead of how the theory shows the great lengths people will go to when let down by the only solution they have left. In this case, it is our corrupt healthcare system. Mangione’s alleged crimes became a place for social media users to project their own beliefs about the state of the world. Whether or not Mangione was a genius with a masterful plan, a pawn of the elites, or simply someone frustrated with the insurance system, his crime is an opportunity for us to reflect on society and the corruption of our many other systems: the criminal justice system, which unfairly, unconditionally discharged those who should be punished for their crimes, our political systems, stemming from true lack of free and fair elections, and more. Mangione, whether knowingly or not, has shown us what happens when we’re oppressed by a broken system that causes people to feel helpless and unheard. The number 286 is a symbol of his rebellion against corruption. This crime forced us into some hard-to-swallow truths about how systems that are supposed to protect the public are not what we think they are.
The “286 theory” is just the beginning of discovering inequities within our world. People are constantly oppressed even when they speak out, and if a conspiracy theory helps spread the word, then we’ll continue speculating.
