Luigi Mangione. This name, accompanied with various images, have been plastered all over social media since December. But who is Luigi Mangione? And how does he connect Brian Thompson, McDonald’s, and an e-bike? 

Background on Brian Thompson

Brian Thompson was announced as CEO of UnitedHealthcare in Apr. 2021. UnitedHealthcare is the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, an international healthcare company. Although he became CEO of UnitedHealthcare relatively recently, Thompson joined UnitedHealth Group in 2004 and was previously CEO of the company’s government programs. In the 2021 company statement announcing Thompson’s appointment, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty stated, “Brian’s experience, relationships and values make him especially well-suited to help UnitedHealthcare improve how healthcare works for consumers, physicians, employers, governments and our other partners, leading to continued and sustained long-term growth.” 

In 2023, Thompson outlined UnitedHealthcare’s transition to “value-based care,” which is built off the idea of paying doctors and caregivers to keep patients healthy instead of focusing on treating them once they are sick. 

In an investor meeting in 2023, Thompson stated that, “Healthcare should be easier for people. We are cognizant of the challenges. But navigating a future through value-based care unlocks a situation where the … family doesn’t have to make the decisions on their own.” That year, Thompson was compensated $10.2 million. Contributing to the rage felt against him by many individuals who struggled to get their insurance to cover much lower costs. 

Allegedly, due to such anger Thompson was shot and killed outside the New York Hilton Midtown Manhattan, where the company was hosting an investor day, on Wednesday, Dec. 4 2024. 

Mangione = Murderer?

The shooter in the footage: a figure in a mask, a dark hooded jacket, dark pants and a gray backpack, stands in front of the Hilton. According to the BBC, the video emphasized that the murder was a targeted attack, as the suspect ignored multiple civilians and focused on Mr. Thompson once he appeared. The suspect ran down W. 55 St. in Manhattan and then fled to Central Park on an e-bike. From there, he went to a bus station near the George Washington Bridge. However, later footage shows that he left the bus depot by subway and took the A train to Pennsylvania Station.

How was Mangione determined to be the suspect? Footage from ten days before the shooting showcases a man of the same build and in the same attire pulling down his mask and smiling at a worker at a hostel. This man was identified six days after the shooting by a McDonald’s worker in Altoona, PA. 

As per CBS News, the shell casings found at the scene, which had the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose,” written on them, matched the gun found on Mangione when he was arrested. His fingerprints were also found on a water bottle and KIND bar near the Starbucks where he was located the morning of the shooting. His fingerprints were also found on a phone found in an alley near the Hilton hotel. When arrested, Mangione also had a spiral notebook in which he wrote about using a gun instead of a bomb to carry-out an attack as it was more precise and didn’t risk innocents.

Why is the internet supporting Mangione?

According to Wired, a fandom emerged around Mangione that was unifying in a way few others have been. When asked how much they support Mangione’s actions on a scale of 10, 88% of the students in a randomized poll of The Beacon’s supporters chose 5 or more. When looking at social media, there are two major, and very different, reasons for the praise Mangione is receiving.

Pretty Privilege

Various individuals online have praised Mangione for his appearance. Some posts that only contain his face receive thousands of comments and likes. Psychologist Mark Travers explained in a Forbes article, that due to what’s known as the ‘halo effect,’ someone who is perceived positively in one aspect is assumed to have other positive qualities as well. 

In this case Mangione’s positive quality is attractiveness. An account on Instagram called “luigi_mangione_edits” is dedicated to editing clips and images of Mangione. In one reel, “texasgardenfairy” states that when she sees a picture of Luigi she “starts blushing.” She emphasized that if she could “make a man in a lab that’s what he would look like.” Comments under the same reel share similar sentiments stating things such as, “The more I hear about him, the hotter he gets,” and “He was perfectly crafted! So fly and fine.” 

Healthcare Hatred 

But on the more political, and arguably more noteworthy, side of Mangione’s hype is the reason that many have rallied behind him: the qualms with the United States’ Healthcare System. 

A KFF poll showcases that  61% of uninsured adults say that they went without needed care because of the cost, and 48% of insured adults worry about affording the monthly expenses for their insurance. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services states that, on average, each American spent $14,570 on healthcare in 2023.  The country’s total reached $4.9 trillion. UnitedHealthcare having one of the highest insurance denial rates further contributed to the internet’s lack of sympathy for the crime.

Many of those who rallied behind Mangione shared personal negative experiences with the healthcare system. One Forest Hills High School student shared their experience, stating “I remember one time I had something… that made my skin itchy and filled with red spots. It wasn’t contagious or anything, but it made me go in pain every time… and my health care insurance wouldn’t cover it because it wasn’t a necessary thing, and since it was a skin thing, it counted as dermatology. Meaning it was non-life-threatening. Really annoying because even though it wasn’t life-threatening, it still made my life basically impossible.”

Another student highlighted the exorbitant prices for certain healthcare necessities, stating that their brother had to pay $250 for an inhaler. 

Conspiracy Theories

Various conspiracy theories have surfaced throughout Mangione’s trial. One Redditor asks “Am I the only one who thinks that Luigi Mangione is not the actual shooter?” Later explaining that they didn’t believe that a killer of such a premeditated murder wouldn’t have left behind any evidence. This is one of the most popular theories. Other Redditors support it stating that they planted evidence on him or “It’s not him. The moles don’t match. The eyebrows. He looks different from the picture. I’m just saying.” Some even go as far as stating that the ‘real killer’ will ‘strike again’ while Mangione is on trial. 

Some also question why there haven’t been many recent updates on this case; a few even suggest the possibility of suppression (by the government or other powerful institutions). Whether or not these theories ring true remains to be seen. As of now, all allegations against Mangione are just that, allegations. Until the case comes to a conclusion, nothing can be completely confirmed.