Days before his arrest in connection to the killing of UnitedHealthcare C.E.O. Brian Thompson on Monday, the internet had clocked Luigi Mangione as a Hot Guy. Surveillance images circulated by police had captured Mangione pulling down his face mask and smiling in the lobby of the hostel where he was staying.
Then he was arrested, his name and face were plastered across the web, and the thirst reached critical mass; Mangione's good looks combined with the unpopularity of American health insurance companies saw a wave of memes and jokes advocating for his acquittal.
Specifically, fangirls and boys are Photoshopping the suspected shooter into various scenarios to provide him an "alibi" and "prove" his innocence. The Luigi Mangione Alibi jokes are obviously not convincing enough to give the alleged shooter a legitimate alibi, but the joke is funny enough to turn it into the hottest murder meme of 2024.
Mangione charged with murder
Pennsylvania police arrested Mangione as a strong person of interest on Dec. 9, 2024, after a McDonald's worker in Altoon, PA recognized and reported him to 911. They then transported him back to New York and charged him with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The police have since claimed to find a gun, fake IDs, and a handwritten note taking sole credit for the crime. Several news outlets reported they received this "manifesto" but have only released various excerpts, though independent journalist Ken Klippenstein published what he says is the full text on his Substack along with a claim that mainstream media outlets are refusing to do the same.
"Major media outlets are also in possession of the document but have refused to publish it and not even articulated a reason why," he writes. "My queries to The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and NBC to explain their rationale for withholding the manifesto, while gladly quoting from it selectively, have not been answered."
Luigi Mangione alibi jokes proliferate
Social media users started posting altered photos featuring Mangione shortly after his arrest. Along with the visuals are reports of how much they enjoyed their time spent with Mangione on Dec. 4, far, far away from Manhattan.
On Dec. 10, X account @Gritty20202 posted a screenshot that read, "It was great seeing my friend Luigi Mangione in Tulsa on 12-4-2024 between 6am and 6pm" early on Tuesday, and the trend took off from there. Based on this and other images, the meme likely began on Facebook, where even local businesses were claiming him.
Oh, the places Luigi Mangione has been
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Related memes:
- The 9/11 Domino Effect Theory just added a new character: Luigi Mangione
- ‘I stand with the assassin’: 40 Luigi Mangione memes reflecting the vibe shift against a broken healthcare system
- 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
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