Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused in the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was reportedly assaulted months before the crime during a solo trip to Thailand.

Travelled in early 2024, Mangione claimed in a WhatsApp message that he was beaten by seven transgender women—referred to colloquially as “ladyboys”—while out in Bangkok. He even shared a photo of his bruised and scratched arm.

According to accounts from a fellow traveller, soccer player Christian Sacchini, Mangione had met him at a Bangkok pub in March. The conversation quickly diverged from casual topics like video games to Mangione’s grievances with the U.S. healthcare system—even citing his shock at how inexpensive an MRI was in Thailand.