The case of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has taken a bizarre turn in the court of public opinion after the news broke about law enforcement apprehending 26-year-old suspect Luigi Mangione. To put it simply, Mangione is receiving an outpouring of support from sadistic weirdos on social media, which not only says a lot about our society but could have dangerous consequences.
The alleged shooter is being lauded as something of a folk hero in some quarters, especially on social media platforms like X, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, and others. These sites have exploded with memes and fan accounts. The hashtag #FreeLuigiMangione has become alarmingly popular in the digital space, with many users portraying him as a noble vigilante fighting against an exploitative healthcare system.
Mangione was arrested on Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania, at a local McDonald’s restaurant after an employee identified him. The authorities stated that they found a “ghost gun,” a suppressor, and a manifesto in his possession.
The alleged gunman railed against the corporate healthcare system in the manifesto, which seems to have resonated even more with some Americans. There has been a repugnant outpouring of positive reactions to Mangione’s alleged actions. An ER nurse posted a video on TikTok expressing these sentiments. “I’m an ER nurse, and the things I’ve seen dying patients get denied for by insurance make me physically sick. I just can’t feel sympathy for [Brian Thompson] because of all those patients and their families," she said.
A Reddit user explained why Mangione might have resorted to violence. “It’s scary, but I’m not surprised something like this finally bubbled up. It’s akin to pitchforks and torches. The health system is a scam, and somebody finally snapped,” they wrote.
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Meanwhile, merchandise displaying the phrase “deny, delay, depose,” which was inscribed on bullet casings found at the scene, has proliferated on platforms like Etsy, Redbubble, and Amazon, according to NBC News.
A graphic designer identified only as Michael told NBC News that he believes “health care should be free; I think a lot of people feel that way. Even though it’s not the way we’d go about it, we’re tired of not seeing anything get done.”
Dr. Céline Gounder acknowledged people’s discontent with the healthcare system, telling CBS News that the nation has “gotten to a point where healthcare is so inaccessible and unaffordable, people are justified in their frustrations.”
After it was revealed that an employee at the McDonald’s in Pennsylvania alerted the authorities, the restaurant has been peppered with negative reviews online.
Google has since removed the reviews because they violate the company's policies, a spokesperson for Google told CBS News. Content that "is not based on a real experience and does not accurately represent the location or product in question" is prohibited by the search giant.
By late Tuesday morning, at least a couple negative reviews that did not appear to come from genuine customers lingered online.
"Saw rats scurrying about in the kitchen here!! Stay away!" read one review, which seemed to allude to a McDonald's worker's tip to police that ultimately led law enforcement to Mangione.
The growth of the Mangione cult is highly disturbing even in the face of understandable frustration with the healthcare system, which leaves much to be desired and has left many in dire straits. Much of this is due to constant government intervention, which has only exacerbated the problem. Yet even valid complaints about healthcare do not remotely justify violence.
Unfortunately, America has a long and storied history of lionizing murderers and thieves as folk heroes. Jesse James, Bonnie and Clyde, and John Dillinger are just a few examples of how an outlaw can appeal to the American public, especially if they can make it appear as if they are sticking it to "the man."
Yet, each of these individuals murdered innocent people for their own personal gain, not for some noble cause. Just like these people did not deserve the adoration, Luigi Mangione is no hero.
The fact that a man allegedly murdered an insurance company CEO because of these issues is not only disturbing but shows how depraved much of our society has become. One critical point these people are missing is the potential consequences of lionizing a murderer. What if all this praise and adulation sparks more such attacks by people wanting to be loved and famous? We live in a viral society in which social media fame is highly desirable – especially among younger generations. If this inspires more people to emulate Mangione, that will lead down a dangerous path and ultimately make the situation worse, not better.
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