It had seemed like, as far as U.S. murder cases go, Karen Read’s would probably take the cake as one of the most talked about, unusual, divisive, ramified cases to have gripped people in 2024. That could have been true if it wasn’t for Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare (a branch of the massive, multinational UnitedHealth Group), getting shot and killed. Although, arguably, this latter case may not be as divisive as the former, as there seems to be nigh-comprehensive, bipartisan support for prime suspect Luigi Mangione.
Following an intense manhunt that included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mangione was captured in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after being recognized by a McDonald’s employee who called the authorities. He was reportedly arrested while carrying a fake ID, a firearm and silencer akin to the one in the security footage, and – like other steadfast, single-minded felons-to-be who would go on to perform an unambiguously motivated crime – a manifesto.
While, in other cases, any level fascination with the accused murdered is mostly perceived as out-of-touch and tactless, in this instance, one look anywhere online and there is no avoiding seeing an underlying degree of admiration for Mangione. This is happening across the board, regardless of where one sits on the political spectrum.
A few YouTube comments read: “The McDonald’s that Luigi was found in, is now getting reviewed bombed. ‘Best’ one was: ‘Pro tip: if you’re a national hero, maybe stick to Wendy’s. They mind their business over there;’ And ‘Bet that Mcdonald’s worker is the type of person to tell the teacher they forget to hand out homework.'” But no matter the social media platform, comments such as these appear to be the norm, not the outliers.
Speaking of social media, as soon as the suspect’s name was out in the open, people rushed to the Internet to dig for Mangione’s online accounts before they were, predictably, taken down or made private.
Digital traces of Luigi Mangione
Even a quick search into the suspect’s identity will tell you that he must be a brilliant mind. A valedictorian who would go on to graduate from an Ivy League university. Although his LinkedIn profile is no longer public, The New York Times reported that 26-year-old Luigi Mangione was an intern at several tech companies and his social media page stated he had worked as a software engineer at True Car. His Linktree page has also been emptied out.
As of this article’s publication, Mangione’s X profile is still up. According to his bio, the Maryland native has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania.
On his profile banner, we may notice a clue that makes the potential motive behind this murder clearer – if Mangione is to be found involved. In the NYT article, the author remarks how “a painful and debilitating back injury kept Mr. Mangione from surfing and impinged on his romantic life,” a statement which is corroborated by the X-ray of what is – presumably – the 26-year-old’s lower back with post-op screws embedded into his spine.
Unusually Overwhelming Degree of Support
It might feel even harder to hate on the highly-educated suspect once one digs deeper into his X account and examines the kind of comments, posts, and reposts he made. For instance, discovering he reposted about books of authors you love. These can further humanize the alleged killer, even if one may ultimately disagree with some of the opinions expressed.
All of these elements and nuances are sure to contribute to the sympathetic sentiments many people already felt toward the now-charged individual. Even late-night TV’s one and only Stephen Colbert discussed how “America is Horny for Alleged UHC Killer.”
The widely understood transparency of Mangione’s motive is reinforced by a manifesto expressing “ill will towards corporate America” and the Goodreads book review narrated in the TikTok video above. This, coupled with U.S. citizens’ own far-reaching frustration with the fatal flaws of the healthcare system, makes it so the scales of sympathy gain justifiable incentives to tip one way. Something which, in most other circumstances – with a different victim and alleged perpetrator – likely wouldn’t have happened.
Published: Dec 10, 2024 10:28 am