About 15 armed NYPD officers escorted Luigi Mangione, accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, to New York’s federal courthouse on Thursday. Mayor Eric Adams was also behind them. The parade seemed paradoxical to many people. The photo quickly circulated everywhere on X, with some saying they wanted to make him look like a Batman villain and others joking that he had gotten his eyebrows done in time for the hearing. Mangione faces four federal charges, including two for stalking, one for possession of a firearm and one for first-degree murder with the aggravating circumstance of terrorism, which carries the death penalty. The federal charges are in addition to state charges, which have already been filed in New York.
“Voglio inviare un messaggio molto chiaro e forte” questo il commento del sindaco di New York ai giornalisti fuori dal tribunale “Questo atto di terrorismo e la violenza che ne deriva sono qualcosa che non sarà tollerato in questa città”. A seconda della prospettiva l’America ha un nuovo nemico, o un nuovo eroe. Sui social sembra prevalere la seconda opzione.
A social glorification
Once the manhunt at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s ended, the internet went wild to ferret out every detail of his life. His musical tastes, the stories of friends who painted him as an altruistic boy, the back problems perhaps the cause of his frustration with the health care system. His X profile went from having 23 thousand followers to about 375 thousand, and has now stabilized at 474 thousand followers. They appeared in the space of a few days made by fans and users who reconstructed the murder, Mangione’s life and the trial. Deny, defend, depose has become both a brand to be put on as merchandise and the symbol of Americans’ anger against the health care system.
On social media, Mangione has received support and celebration for his alleged murder. A fundraiser for his legal defense has surpassed $150,000, turning him into something of a “martyr.”
Data analysis
Thanks to the work of IDMO, over 2,700 tweets and about 20 accounts of international influencers talking about Luigi Mangione have been analyzed. The study shows how a heated debate has emerged online and, in particular, how some users believe he is guilty of the death of the CEO of the well-known American insurance company, while others believe in his innocence. Many associate Luigi Mangione with Charlie XCX, with a tone that varies between enthusiasm and sarcasm. Luigi Mangione is defined as ‘brat’ because he is a rebel and viral nonconformist, just like the singer
The cluster analysis, conducted by IDMO and Zeta Italy News, highlights some macro-topics, organized by number of contents and average engagement. The first cluster revolves around the controversial figure of Luigi Mangione and the murder of CEO Brian Thompson, arousing polarized opinions and strong engagement. The second cluster focuses on celebrities and pop culture, exploring gossip and scandals ranging from music to politics (including Trump, Biden, Beyoncé, Jay-Z and others). The third criticizes the American health and political system, attracting the attention of an audience interested in socio-political issues. The fourth cluster, characterized by conspiracy theories and sensational speculations, stimulates debate. The fifth collects the emotional reactions of the public, including empathy, indignation and sarcasm, while the sixth uses humor and irony to address complex issues, generating high engagement.
Themes of social debates
In the analyzed dataset, the topics related to Luigi Mangione dominate the scene, with a high level of engagement, thanks to the sensational nature of the accusations and the curiosity towards controversial events. Other topics, such as pop culture, political criticism and conspiracy theories, contribute to diversifying the contents, attracting different audience segments.
Content related to Luigi Mangione records a high level of engagement, measured by the average of likes, shares and views, especially among users who express frustration towards institutions. “Furthermore, as already observed in other trends, tweets that propose conspiracy theories tend to generate high engagement, stimulating discussions and debates, even if often unfounded”, explains Federica Urzo, journalist and analyst at IDMO. Content that arouses strong emotions, both positive and negative, in fact obtain greater interaction and tend to polarize the debate. The use of memes, humor and irony proves particularly effective in maintaining high user engagement, facilitating the viral spread of content.
Luigi Mangione has attracted media and social media attention that, while polarizing public opinion, tends to focus on his alleged motivations and character rather than the crime itself. The Center for American Progress’ study “The Dangerous Racialization of Crime in U.S. News Media” highlights how the media treats white criminals with greater empathy, exploring their motivations and personal suffering, while black or Latino offenders are often reduced to racial stereotypes.
The Halo Effect
The fascination with Luigi Mangione can also be considered the social declination of a widely studied psychological phenomenon: the halo effect. It is a cognitive bias that leads to judging the entire person on a couple of positive characteristics, while the negative ones fade into the background. The definition was born from a study by Edward Thorndike in 1920. Subsequent studies have analyzed how this effect distorts public opinion even towards criminals. Ted Bundy was idealized because he was considered good-looking and charismatic. His image as a charming and irresistible man contrasted with the brutality of the crimes he committed in the 1970s. During his trial many witnesses described him as an intelligent, polite and kind man.
Luigi Mangione is fascinating because he seems anything but a brutal killer. He is part of one of the richest families in Maryland, has a master’s degree in engineering from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, listens to Charlie XCX and Taylor Swift leaves reviews on Goodreads. But if you combine his good looks, his normal passions and his gesture, you have the recipe for a folk hero. Where institutions fail or seem absent, violence becomes justified if not celebrated. On one side, a boy who kills a man. On the other, the CEO of a healthcare company with the highest reimbursement rate (32%) who, according to social opinion, has killed many more people. In a space divided into fan bases where nuances are not accepted, a winner and a loser are chosen.
Mariahelena Rodriguez
Zeta Luiss
