The suspected perpetrator of the murder of American CEO Brian Thompson has been arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. The establishment has received a flood of negative reviews. Social media is flooded with messages of support for the shooter.
26-year-old Luigi M. has been charged with the murder of the CEO of insurance giant UnitedHealthcare. Brian Thompson was shot to death in cold blood outside his hotel in New York City last Wednesday. Police were able to arrest the suspected perpetrator in a McDonald’s in Altoona, a town with about 40,000 inhabitants in Pennsylvania.
In recent days, the police released various video images and photos of the shooter in the hope of a golden tip. That golden tip came from Pennsylvania. A customer at the hamburger chain recognized Luigi M. He raised the alarm with an employee, who called the police. The employee took M. in for questioning and found a homemade weapon in his backpack that strongly resembled the one used in the shooting, along with a silencer, forged identity papers and a handwritten manifesto against American health insurers.
After the news of M.’s arrest, McDonald’s in Altoona received negative reviews. People who had never eaten there gave it 1 star. “This McDonald’s has rats in the kitchen, so you get sick. But your insurance won’t cover it,” one review read.
Google decided to take action itself. “These reviews violate our policies and have been removed,” a Google spokesperson said. “Reviews should reflect a genuine experience at a place or business and content that serves to manipulate will be removed.”
#FreeLuigi
The reactions to Thompson’s murder show how much frustration there is with the American healthcare system. Even in the days after his death, Thompson was bombarded with hate messages. But the possible shooter, Luigi M., has received a lot of support since his arrest. Messages on social media are being shared en masse with hashtags such as #FreeLuigi and #TeamLuigi. His appearance is being applauded and people are asking about the identity of the “snitch on M.”
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro condemned the support M. is receiving. “In America, we don’t kill people in cold blood because we have a disagreement or to make a point,” he said in a press conference. “He’s not a hero, but he is the person who called the police on McDonald’s.”
