Well, that didn’t take long. Luigi Mangione was arrested as “a person of interest” on Monday for the shooting death of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson, and the internet has already declared him hot.
On one hand, that reaction’s not surprising. Grainy surveillance pictures of the suspected gunman were released after Thompson died in Manhattan last week, and based on that alone, social media had a new boyfriend, as what the shooter did was reframed as a romantic hero fighting the good fight, instead of a cold-blooded murderer.
The clearest look we previously had at the suspected gunman was reportedly because he took his mask down to flirt.
Now that we have Mangione’s social media accounts, we, too, can confirm he’s good-looking — as icky as it is to root for a suspected killer who shot a man in broad daylight on a New York City street. But in our defense, the overall reaction to Mangione’s strong chin and swarthy complexion says more about the public’s opinion of the health insurance industry than the crime Mangione allegedly committed.
“Too hot to convict”
Mangione, 26, is a Maryland native and tech professional who lived in Hawaii until recently, and based on one social media photo, he likes to hike — shirtless. Johann Pablo Peterson captioned his post with the bare-chested photo in part, “The manhunt has now ended with investigators declaring ‘too hot to convict.'” Reportedly, Mangione was spotted at an Altoona, PA, McDonald’s Monday, and an employee called the police. He must not eat McDonald’s very often if his abs look like that.
Based on another photo uncovered, Mangione is a McDonald’s fan and might be looking forward to Mufasa: The Lion King, the upcoming live-action Disney movie. Regardless of how much fast food he eats, it looks like Mangione stays in shape.
Could a Mangione lookalike contest be in the works?
Other “too soon” X posts about Mangione’s photos included, “Luigi Mangione lookalike contest in my bedroom now,” proving the crush many developed on the fugitive based on the surveillance footage had not subsided.
Reports also say Mangione had a gun, a silencer, and clothing that matched the clothing worn by the gunman in the security footage when he was arrested. He also had a 2-page document in his possession that was critical of the health insurance industry and called violence a solution.
Hey, at least he’s “goal-oriented”
Once Mangione’s name was released to the press, everyone searched social media for details about who he is, what he does, who he follows, and what he likes. This led It Me to post, “God but the way Luigi Mangione is hot, smart, driven, morally gray (he does like elon musk) and has the ability to follow through on his goals and beliefs?????? STOPPPPPPPPP”
Mangione graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.S.E. and M.S.E. in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania, according to his LinkedIn profile, and works for True Car Inc., an online car marketplace. He does follow Elon Musk, which is a red flag, as It Me points out — okay, that’s a dealbreaker, but murder accusations, aren’t? That’s bad news for Elon Musk.
Other non-flattering details discovered after Mangione’s arrest is that’s also a fan of Breloom, the mushroom Pokémon, as Peter Twinklage pointed out.
One social comment added that Ted Bundy was handsome, too, but he was a psychopath, so let’s not jump to conclusions about Mangione just yet. According to one post, though, it’s too late.
In all seriousness, though, Mangione is linked to a very real crime and, according to the New York Post, he holds some extreme views, liking quotes on social media from the late Ted “Unabomber” Kaczynski — so Musk isn’t the only dubious influencer he follows. Authorities also said according to Mangione’s online activity, he follows anti-capitalist and climate change pages. Sources also told the outlet Mangione may have had a bad experience with the insurance industry and a sick relative. Otherwise, the exact motive for Thompson’s murder is unclear.
Published: Dec 9, 2024 04:13 pm