Pennsylvania State Police
Social media was in an uproar after seeing the 26-year-old get escorted by police into a Pennsylvania courthouse ... before he was later charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson.
The internet erupted Monday following the arrest of Liugi Mangioni, the 26-year-old man charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The social media fanfare first started when his name was released to the public, with Mangione's Instagram and X accounts making the rounds. The lusting for Luigi only intensified, however, the first official photos from authorities were released by police in Pennsylvania, with many labeling Mangione as "hot."
"lol this cannot be the mugshot, it can't," one X user wrote of the steely photo of Mangione, who appeared stern in the shot shared online, seemingly taken inside the McDonald's where he was apprehended.
Others, meanwhile, said the University of Pennsylvania graduate "served face" in the photo.
But it was Mangione's "perp walk" -- which saw police escort him to the Blair County courthouse in Pennsylvania, where he was denied bail, that really sent social media into an uproar.
"At first I was kinda like 'yeah ok he’s conventionally attractive whatever' but then I saw this video and the mugshot and something shifted…," one user wrote over a clip of Mangione exiting a cop car as he made his way into the courthouse.
Some X users called for Mangione to be freed, with one even asking lawyer-in-training, Kim Kardashian, to do her magic and get work on his release.
"Get your a-- up and work @KimKardashian," they wrote.
The 26-year-old was arrested Monday in Pennsylvania, first as a person of interest in the death of Thompson, who was shot on a busy midtown Manhattan sidewalk in broad daylight last week.
Later, he was officially charged in New York with second-degree murder for Thompson's death; he also faces charges of possession of a loaded firearm (two counts), possession of a forged instrument, and criminal possession of a weapon.
As the thirst over Mangione continued, however, he even earned his own fan page on X. Titled "Luigi Crave" a play on the pop culture page, Pop Crave, the page not only objectifies Mangione, but has been sharing some tongue-in-cheek updates on his case.
The reactions highlight the divide online in the wake of Thompson's murder; while there have been many who have condemned the shooting, the bulk of reactions of social media have seen users praise Mangione and call him a hero, while venting their own frustrations over health care and insurance.
See more reactions to Mangione's mugshot, his perp walk and more below:
