The trial for alleged killer Luigi Mangione is set for this summer. By that time, it will have been approximately a year and a half since UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was murdered. The killing was shocking for several reasons. An innocent father of two was shot in the back on a New York sidewalk while walking to a meeting.
The killing was captured on CCTV. And the fallout is equally horrific.
From nearly the moment Mangione was arrested, he was celebrated. Praise was quickly heaped on him by people who believe his alleged actions were justified. What’s more, they view him as a sort of martyr for the cause. To them, killing Thompson was necessary because of his work as a health insurance CEO. The healthcare industry as a whole is responsible for harm, and Thompson, as an executive in that field, was to blame. But the murder of Thompson did nothing to change a vast, complex industry that needs a real overhaul. Instead, the addled minds of Mangione supporters paint him as a sort of modern-day Robin Hood. He took one for the team.
To make matters worse, a new musical comedy about Mangione is set to open the same month his trial starts. This is the kind of news that is unbelievable to decent human beings, no matter their political persuasion.
According to the New York Post, “Becoming a Gen Z. Jean Valjean, the title character croons, ‘Bringing down a tiny part of our broken healthcare system brings me enough happiness to share!’”
I can’t imagine how Thompson’s family must feel. Not only did they experience the tragic loss of his life, but they have surely noticed the sheer glee from those who think Thompson had it coming. They have to prepare for the upcoming trial and media frenzy. And now, an entire stage production has been created making light of his murder.
Certain moments reveal the health of a society. While the killing of Thompson was the action of one man, the rationalization and jubilation that followed reflect something broader. To say it’s deeply disturbing doesn’t go far enough. It treats human life as expendable based on nothing more than dislike. And in the case of Thompson, that dislike was solely based on guilt by association. His position in a certain industry earned him death in the mind of his accused killer. That warped perspective is shared by his accused killer’s fans. And now, audience members will watch and laugh at the story of Mangione.
The internet helps to spread news of horrible events such as Thompson’s killing. Social media is also used to desensitize others to the horror surrounding his murder. Thompson becomes just a name representing bad healthcare or insurance outcomes. The further we get away from December 2024, and the more Mangione is lionized, the less anyone cares about the victim.
Instead of recoiling at the flippancy, an entire production has been created. The goal is to cement Mangione as some misunderstood, only slightly bad hero. Thompson did nothing to these people to earn their rage. Yet, in his death, and with this mockery, he receives the brunt of it.
We can expect the trial of Mangione to be a circus. Mangione’s youth, appearance, and growing fandom vault him to an undeserved status. His supporters have no problem if he is found guilty. In fact, many probably want that. He represents their own rage. And they idolize him for that.
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Even more troubling, a poll conducted less than two weeks after Thompson’s murder found that 41% of people under 30 considered the killing to be somewhat acceptable or completely acceptable.
Mangione isn’t the first alleged killer to be treated like a celebrity. But the support for him should only belong to a shunned fringe. Instead, it’s an alarmingly large minority. And now there is a musical comedy. When an innocent man’s murder becomes lighthearted entertainment, something far deeper than one killing has gone wrong.