No one would suspect Luigi Manginone as a murderer. A 26-year-old Baltimore native who graduated top of his class from an elite private high school, and then went on to earn his master’s from the University of Pennsylvania.
Yet on December 9th, only 5 days after the crime, Mangione was arrested for the murder of Brian Thompson, Healthcare United CEO, after he was fatally shot in the streets of New York City.
The court has pushed back the trial date to help both parties better equip themselves for the proceedings, but Mangione has already pleaded not guilty, implying he was not the one who pulled the trigger.
The court is describing this killing as an act of terrorism and is considering punishing this crime by death, if he faces federal charges. The other option for whoever is convicted would be life in prison with no possibility of parole.
The cold-blooded murder of Brian Thompson was cruel and wrong no matter what lens you look at it from. Being shot and killed on your way home from work to see your wife and kids is pure evil.
Yet people on social media are framing Mangione as a hero and praising him for his crime, some even calling him a “modern-day hero”.
On the scene of the crime, the bullet casings used to kill Thompson had the words “deny, defend, depose” written on them. The public seems to believe that these words are a reference to a book titled: “Delay, deny, defend” written by Jay Feinman on how insurance companies do not pay their claims. The changing of the phrase to replace the word “delay” to “depose” can be interpreted as Mangione’s intent to rid healthcare companies of “greedy” corporate workers who are not working to serve the public.
It has now been seen on Tik Tok that people are writing these words on paper money as a sign of revolt against corporate America, criticizing their tendency to steal money from citizens.
It is believed that Mangione also had some substantial issues with the US healthcare system and corporate America, believing them to be corrupt and parasitic systems; which he detailed having great resentment towards in a handwritten note found on his body when he was arrested.
People always want to feel represented, and seeing someone as a public figure that seems to be rooting for them gives a certain sense of hope to a community. Mangione’s act of murdering Healthcare United’s CEO is being viewed as an act of service to stand up to the unjust American healthcare system and greedy insurance companies.
No matter the motivation, the crime committed was unwarranted and unprovoked. The people praising young Luigi on social media might think they are rooting for a “hero” who took a stand against corporate America, but they are just glamorizing a murderer.
