Shortly after Luigi Mangione was charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, online stores were flooded with merchandise glorifying the alleged shooter. T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and other items featuring Mangione’s name and image were being sold on platforms like Etsy, My Porch Prints, Chill Guy, Noble T-Shirts, and ModParty. This trend is concerning to researchers, as it shows the normalization of behavior that was once confined to the fringes of the internet. As internet sleuths worked to uncover more information about Mangione, platforms like YouTube and Instagram were working to shut down his accounts. Google was also forced to remove negative reviews of the McDonald’s where Mangione was identified. This unusual situation highlights the power of the internet and the potential for individuals to gain a following, even in the midst of a high-profile murder case.
