Boston concertgoers cheer for alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangioni: ‘Give the people what they want’
Local concertgoers recently erupted in applause and cheers when alleged United Healthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangioni’s mugshot was displayed on the big screen.
The Boston crowd at the Bop to the Top show at Big Night Live went wild Friday night, as Mangioni in his orange prison jumpsuit was put up on the screen.
Photos of the alleged cold-blooded killer were displayed during the playing of “He Could Be the One” by Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus), according to viral videos of the show.
“You got to give the people what they want,” the DJ of the Bop to the Top show said after Mangioni’s mugshot was on the massive screen.
Bop to the Top is a DJ-led dance night with Disney Channel throwbacks.
The tour did not immediately respond to comment about displaying the alleged killer during its Boston show. Neither did Big Night Live or Disney.
🚨#WATCH: As crowds of concert attendees cheer when the Bop to the Top tour puts photos of Luigi, who tragically m*rdered the healthcare CEO
⁰📌#Boston | #Massachusetts⁰
Watch shocking footage of concert attendees erupting in cheers and celebration during the Bop to the Top… pic.twitter.com/TmxtvDl7oa— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) December 14, 2024
The killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the ensuing arrest of Mangioni has sparked #FreeLuigi memes online, as many commenters call the alleged cold-blooded shooter a hero. There has been a lack of sympathy online for the death of Thompson, a husband and father of two children.
Writings found in Mangione’s possession hinted at a vague hatred of corporate greed and an expression of anger toward “parasitic” health insurance companies, according to the Associated Press.
Some bullets recovered from the shooting scene in New York City had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” reflecting words used by insurance industry critics.
The discourse around the killing and Mangione is more than just memes. Conversations about the interconnectedness of various parts of American life are unfolding online as well, propelled by the saga.
One Reddit user said he was banned for three days for supporting Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted after testifying he acted in self-defense when he fatally shot two people in 2020 during protests. “Do you think people are getting banned for supporting Luigi?” the poster wondered.
The comments cover a lot of ground. They include people saying the United Healthcare slaying isn’t a “right or left issue” and wondering what it would take to get knocked off the platform.
“You probably just have to cross the line over into promoting violence,” one commenter wrote. “Not just laughing about how you don’t care about this guy.”
Last week, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro took issue with the “hero” comments for Mangioni after he was apprehended in the Keystone State.
“We do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint,” Shapiro said. “In a civil society, we are all less safe when ideologues engage in vigilante justice.”
Mangione is in a Pennsylvania jail cell as he awaits extradition to New York on murder charges.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23952499/HT030_windows_0005.jpg?w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "How to free up space on a Windows PC")
