Authorities have arrested 26-year-old Luigi Mangione as a person of interest in the United Healthcare CEO shooting that has captivated social media. If anyone thought that would make the memes linked to this crime come to an end, they were sorely mistaken.
Mangione was taken into custody in Pennsylvania on Monday morning after being spotted at a McDonald’s. Reports claim that he had a “ghost gun,” a suppressor, four fake IDs, and some manifesto blasting the U.S. healthcare system on him at the time.
Who is Luigi Mangione?
— SyeClops (@SyeClops) December 9, 2024
This is all I found.
He is an avid reader with 295 books listed on Goodreads.
Academically, he holds both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, he gained recognition as the valedictorian… pic.twitter.com/hmWf5h0DC1
Ever since news of Brian Thompson’s murder broke last Wednesday, the internet has been fascinated by the mystery assassin. Memes, theories, and even fan fiction have all flooded social media as people simultaneously wondered who might have committed such an act in broad daylight and shared their hopes that he would never be found.
Now that Mangione is considered a viable suspect—according to the NYPD—online attention hasn’t wavered, although it has shifted as folks dig into his life and online history.
What’s up with the Luigi Mangione memes?
In the wake of his arrest as a suspect in the shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, people on the internet have been flooding social media with memes about Luigi Mangioni.
Pictures circulated by the NYPD in the early days of the manhunt already clued the internet in to the fact that the alleged assassin is super hot. Mangioni certainly meets that description, which has only fueled his babygirl-ification and the cries of “I can fix him!”
But there are more layers here. Mangione was the valedictorian of his high school class, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, and reportedly has an IQ of over 130. His social media presence is all over the place, presenting a dude that is an avid reader, makes random dick jokes, and gets emotional over the loss of pet fish.
so what we’ve gathered about luigi is he’s fine asf, bi (allegedly), a lover of books, a family man, educated, good taste in music, and a jokester. i NEED him pic.twitter.com/vAYYKEpiK0
— dai (@vietbaddie) December 9, 2024
Honestly, it’s no wonder the internet is still thirsting over this guy. Folks are even already chomping at the bit to fancast the inevitable movie about his life. (The current choice for leading man? Dave Franco.)
America’s vibe shift: The internet unites against a broken healthcare system
Now, this is the part where I’m supposed to point out that the Daily Dot does not condone violence. Murdering people is bad, assassins should not be glorified, systemic issues can totally be fixed through lawful channels, etc., etc.
Still, it’s impossible to deny that this situation has united the internet in a way that little else manages to do. This feels particularly notable at a time when Americans have been deeply divided through politics and culture wars. Who knew that common ground would finally be found amidst the murder of the CEO of a company notorious for denying people’s health insurance claims?
Regardless of your opinion on Mangione, his actions, or the insurance industry as a whole, all eyes were glued to the NYPD’s hunt for the alleged killer, and now that they believe Mangione to be that person, interest is only growing.
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More memes:
- UHC CEO’s final LinkedIn post was full of aggrieved customers—over a year before his death
- ‘Would’: The NYPD dropped new pics of the suspected UHC CEO shooter, and the internet immediately reacted with thirst
- Grim memes highlight bleak state of insurance in wake of UnitedHealth CEO shooting
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