Luigi Mangioni was arrested on Monday on charges of murdering the US health insurance giant. But since then more than a thousand people have offered money to cover the cost of his legal fees.
In fact, they often accompany their donation with messages of support for the young man, or even satisfaction for the murder.
In , where the murder was committed, posters with the caption “wanted” and photos of company heads have appeared on the walls.
Websites sell products inspired by Mangioni’s deed, such as sweatshirts and mugs, as well as hats with the inscription “CEO hunter”.
It is recalled that against , its managing director, on December 4 outside a Manhattan hotel. He was arrested five days later following a manhunt to locate him.
Although condemnation of the murder was widespread, some in the American public have reduced Mangioni to something of a folk hero. Support for him has grown since his arrest on Monday.
How Mangioni went from murderer to folk hero
Most messages on the GiveSendGo fundraising site reflect the . Insurance companies refuse to cover many treatments, or to compensate patients for their hospitalizations. At the same time, they deny growing income inequality.
“Denying people health care coverage is murder, but no one is facing charges for it,” wrote one donor, calling Thompson’s killing “justifiable homicide.”
Other donors simply used the words “Deny, Defend, Depose,” which insurance companies use to deny or delay paying claims to policyholders. These words are said to have been etched into the casings of the bullets that Maggioni used to kill Thompson.
As of yesterday Wednesday (11/12), more than $31,000 had been raised on GiveSendGo.
Felipe Rodriguez, a former member of the New York Police Department, expressed his indignation at these reactions.
“He’s been reduced to a witness for all the problems people have had with their insurance companies,” he complained. “Who hasn’t had a confrontation with their insurance company? But he’s a cold-blooded killer.”
Mangioni is being held in Pennsylvania on gun possession and forgery charges, while prosecutors in New York are seeking extradition to that state. His attorney said he plans to plead not guilty to the charges in Pennsylvania.
The evidence linking the perpetrator to the murder
Yesterday Wednesday (11/12) New York Police Inspector Jessica Tice said that investigators have linked the gun found in Mangioni’s possession to the .
In addition, his fingerprints were found on a water bottle and a cereal bar found nearby.
Other evidence authorities have gathered includes manuscripts found in Mangioni’s possession in which he claims Thompson’s killing was a legitimate response to what he described as corporate greed, media reported.
Rage over health insurance – Is the cause “weaponized” the hand of the perpetrator?
Americans pay more for their health insurance than citizens of any other country in the world.
The data also show that in the last five years the costs of health insurance premiums, medicines, services not covered by insurance as well as other medical services have increased.
Mangioni suffers from chronic lower back pain that has significantly affected his life, according to friends and social media posts, although it is unclear whether his medical condition played a role in the killing.
“It’s hard to underestimate the anger and fear that people have toward insurance companies,” said David Shapiro, a former agent and professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.
Shapiro pointed out that he has never seen the kind of backlash that Mangioni provoked among some of the public, but added: “I don’t think it’s that surprising, given the mood of the country and the ease of online anonymity.” ».
“This man is an absolute legend,” say users online
Tik Tok users are posting videos of Mangioni’s outburst on Tuesday, as he was being taken to a Pennsylvania courthouse when he yelled: “…totally out of touch and an insult to the American people,” along with comments such as: “this man is the ultimate legend’ and ‘class consciousness awakens’.
Many websites sell t-shirts with Mangioni’s photo and messages like “Free Luigi” or “In this house Luigi Mangioni is a hero, period.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro condemned those who reduced Mangioni to a hero, calling their reaction “deeply troubling.”
“In America we don’t kill people in cold blood to settle our political differences or to express a point of view,” he stressed.
