How Murder Gets Overlooked: Luigi Mangione the Anti-Hero
By V MURDAYA ‘27 and LEON XIE ‘27
On Dec. 4, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot several times in the back by an assailant believed to be 26-year-old Luigi Mangione. When the murder of such an important figure in the health industry inevitably gained traction, the public’s response was, incredibly, not a unanimous denouncement of Mangione’s actions. A decade ago, the only sentiment surrounding a murderer would have been that they should be imprisoned as quickly as possible. But many on social media started to note his good looks and express dismay at his incarceration preceding his trial. Some referenced his decision to employ a 3D-printed “ghost gun” rather than a bomb to highlight his consideration for bystanders’ safety in eliminating Thompson specifically. Others agreed with his political motivation and stance against corporate greed. So strong was the support for his freedom that a fundraiser for his legal fees has amassed over $100,000 in donations, and pictures of his face were met with cheers at a concert in Boston.
But the notion that Mangione should not be given the sentence for first- or second-degree murder is preposterous. Even if his values rang true to some. Even if, as those advocating him have pointed out, he was experiencing severe back pain that prevented him from living life to its fullest, he should not be able to shed the consequences of murder. Mangione himself, it seems, was aware of this, but there is a growing number of people who are adamant that he is in the right.
Almost every year, the release of one movie or television series becomes all the craze. Box office numbers that would make any director drool. Outstanding feedback score given by even the most ardent critics. That is the plot of the anti-hero. Whether it be their actions having the consequences of destroying cities, or the murder of one or more people in the attempt to save the world, or the assassination of the scheming political elite, films such as Dexter and Deadpool portray this myth to perfection. On the flipside, the protagonist to these movies could also have other, more sinister intentions. Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, and Walter White in Breaking Bad pursue a villainous main role, while somehow keeping audiences supportive of their actions. How so? This boils down to human nature. The protagonist to the perfect story is not one of flawless morals, actions, and virtues, but one best representing human nature. People make mistakes, bad decisions, and commit unethical actions. No one is perfect. This popular ideal can be inserted into the actions of these criminals. They killed, but they killed with a reason.
However, in the first place, murder is the most extreme of these actions. Even to a normal person, this action is difficult to justify. But is it? There exists an invisible barrier between the criminal and the audience: the lack of relatability between the actions of the criminal and the perspectives of the onlookers. After all, murder is an act that is incomprehensible to most. When faced with the conviction of such criminals, audiences often turn to their moral compass. Instead of attempting to comprehend the magnitude of their crime, they seek to find other explanations that may cause them to act in such a way. These reasons, often justified in their mind, inclines them to sympathize with these individuals. This can manifest in various ways. They may align themselves with the beliefs or ideals of the convicted, whether moral or political, or attribute the criminal’s actions to their upbringing, rationalizing that a flawed environment shaped their behavior and drove them to commit such an unthinkable act.
In the case of Mangione, political ideologies that might resonate with others could be one of the reasons he was supported. A search of his GoodReads history revealed that he read the1995 anti-technology manifesto by Ted Kaczynski, the infamous Unabomber. In a review of the book, he writes, “...It’s simply impossible to ignore how prescient many of his predictions about modern society turned out. He was a violent individual - rightfully imprisoned - who maimed innocent people.” He goes on to describe the Unabomber as an “extreme political revolutionary.” No evidence has been found suggesting Mangione had long intended to kill Thompson in particular, and he wasn’t insured by United either. It appears he considered his actions in a similar vein to those of Kaczynski: political activism taken in a world where only breaking the law in a way such as murder can get your point across. In quoting another user’s thoughts on Kaczynski’s manifesto, he says, “‘Violence never solved anything’ is a statement uttered by cowards and predators.’”
It’s statements like these that make Mangione something of a folk hero among his supporters. Advocates of Mangione believe UnitedHealthcare wrongfully denies thousands of people coverage and consider Thompson’s murder a net positive for society. But the responsibility for United’s business decisions, whether agreeable or not, cannot be placed entirely on Thompson as one part of a company with tens of thousands of employees. The likelihood of Thompson’s murder leading to reduction of corruption in the corporate world is nowhere near as probable as top executives simply taking measures to prevent themselves from coming to harm or being ousted from their position, and the anguish Mangione’s actions have caused the families and friends of the victim as well as the perpetrator cannot be worth the benefits.