Luigi Mangione Pleads Not Guilty to Health Care CEO Murder Charges

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of the calculated killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has pleaded not guilty to federal murder charges in a Manhattan court.

The case has ignited fierce political and cultural debate in the United States, however news of his arrest last year saw the gays go feral, for completely different reasons.

Wearing beige prison scrubs, Mangione appeared sombre as he faced charges of murder, two counts of stalking, and a firearms offence.

Outside of court supporters of Mangione gathered holding signs and posters, including a van sent up with a video message calling the conduct of the Justice Department “barbaric.”

Prosecutors allege he stalked Thompson and gunned him down at close range with a silenced pistol on December 4, 2024 after travelling from Atlanta to New York.

He was arrested days later in Pennsylvania.

US law enforcement arrested Luigi Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania in connection with the case after a customer identified Mangione from photos released to the media.

Mangione was found with a ghost gun – a firearm assembled from parts purchased online – on his person, as well as fake IDs and a document outlining his motives that indicated “ill will toward corporate America.”

The case is the first under President Donald Trump’s new term in which federal prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty.

A court date is expected to be set on December 5 marking one year since the alleged crime.

While the legal drama unfolds, Mangione’s arrest triggered a rather hilarious phenomenon online among gay men on social media platforms.

When news of the arrest of Luigi Mangione broke, reactions of the queer internet erupted in lust over Mangione’s good looks, with many falling over themselves as images of him circulated online, even as details of the brutal murder emerged.

Gay group chats everywhere are currently sharing the most unholy, god forsaken, hellish language https://t.co/iQZukI6Vfs

— j 🇨🇷 (@maric0nsito) December 9, 2024

Luigi quickly became the talk of the internet as more and more images of him were released, including his official mugshot.

The more images that were released, the thirstier the memes got.

Omg yes pic.twitter.com/7VGUYIaFZg

— Croc Top 🏳️‍🌈 (@eb_geebies) December 9, 2024

Outside of his popularity for his appearance, Mangione continues to have support from many as discussions about the state of the US healthcare system have been reignited as a result of his case.