In the age of instant communication,
social media platforms have become a
powerful tool in shaping public opinions,
particularly when it comes to high-profile
criminal cases. The recent case involving
Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the shooting
of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thomp-
son, highlights the tension between crim-
inal justice and social media interactions.
As more details of the case were
publicized, social media platforms be-
came filled with misinformation, heated
debates, and emotional reactions, further
complicating the process of seeking jus-
tice.
The incident occurred in Man-
hattan on the morning of December 4th,
2024, outside of a Hilton hotel on West
54th Street. Thompson had been walking
into the hotel for an investor meeting,
when a man wearing a mask and hoodie
shot him three times. The suspect, who
had been identified as 26-year-old Luigi
Mangione, evaded police for five days
until being found in a McDonald’s in
Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Mangione was found with a
handgun, a suppressor, ammunition, a
fake ID, and a handwritten note in which
he seemed to take responsibility for the
killing. He wrote that he saw the shooting
as an opportunity to retaliate against the
healthcare industry’s “corruption”.
He currently faces multiple
state charges in New York and Pennsyl-
vania, as well as four federal charges. He
pleaded not guilty to the murder and
terror charges when he was arraigned on
December 23rd. His next appearance in
state court is scheduled to be on February
21st.
Law enforcement agencies kept
most information under wraps to protect
the integrity of the case. However, the
scarcity of official updates did little to
stop online speculation. Within hours
of the shooting, social media platforms
such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
exploded with accusations, theories, and
emotion. Rumors spread rapidly, and
hashtags such as #JusticeForBrian and
#FreeLuigi began circulating around
posts to express either outrage or support.
Many people sympathized with
Thompson, a 50-year-old father who is
survived by his wife and two sons, and
believed the shooting to be unjustified.
However, many people also felt the same
anger towards the healthcare system as
Mangione and supported the killing. For
example, “Free Luigi” T-shirts were made,
and a crypto coin was named after him.
When asked if Mangione’s potential con-
viction could spark protests and activism,
Matthew Fineman ‘26 said, “I think it
will be due to the controversial nature of
the case and how many young people are
idolizing his actions against large corpo-
rations.”
The amount of understanding
and support that Mangione received for
the shooting illustrates how much vio-
lence has been normalized in the United
States.
When asked what the future
could look like based on the shooting, Mr.
Schropp said, “I think that extreme events
like this will continue to occur. I have
been in education for 30 years, and I have
seen horrible events like mass shootings
become more and more common.” He
believes that social media encourages the
spread of extreme opinions, and violence
can form from those strong emotions.
A major consequence of the
frantic spread of information online was
that it created a sense of urgency and
uncertainty among the public. People im-
mediately began to form strong opinions
surrounding Mangione’s alleged involve-
ment in the shooting and pick sides or
jump to conclusions based on incomplete
or biased information.
Leyla Medford ‘26 says, “People
are already choosing sides, and it feels like
the legal process doesn’t even get a chance
to do its thing. Everyone is making judg-
ments before they know everything. It’s
like people want to “solve” the case before
it’s even fully investigated.”
Additionally, misinformation
heavily influenced public perception on
the case. For instance, someone photo-
shopped Mangione into a scene in Tulsa,
Oklahoma on the day of the shooting
in attempts to give him an alibi. False
reports also emerged that he had been in
a gang-related dispute with Thompson,
despite no evidence to support this claim.
The lack of clarity from law enforcement
combined with the publics’ hunger for
answers allowed these rumors to fester.
Social media has both advan-
tages and disadvantages when it comes to
raising awareness and spreading infor-
mation. On the one hand, it provides
easy access to information and creates a
space for everyone to voice their opin-
ions. On the other hand, it can host lots
of misinformation and tension. So, it is
crucial to be wary when reading online
about extreme or controversial events like
Mangione and the killing of the United-
Healthcare CEO.
