T-shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs, shot glasses, and more that feature the alleged gunman who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson have started popping up online and on the streets of Manhattan.
The suspected gunman, identified by police as Luigi Mangione, has started to gain a following online, drawing sympathies from those who have ill feelings towards the health insurance industry.
Among the merchandise to pop up online include beer koozies, pins, flags, and more, all featuring the words that were found on the bullet shell casings, “Deny,” “Defend,” and “Depose.”
Other items include stickers that say “Free Luigi” and shirts that have depictions of the shooter, as seen in the security camera footage of the incident.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) discussed the recent support for the suspected shooter during a news conference this week.
“Some attention in this case, especially online, has been deeply disturbing, as some have looked to celebrate instead of condemning this killer,” Shapiro said.
While online marketplaces tend to prohibit the sale of items that glorify violence, not all of them appear to be stopping the sale of Mangione-related merchandise.
Etsy, a popular online shop with custom items, is also selling items that have the words from the shooter’s bullets on them, including a Christmas ornament.
In statements to USA Today, both eBay and Amazon commented on the sale of items. Amazon said it pulled some merchandise using the phrases found on the bullets.
“eBay policies do not prohibit the sale of items with the phrase ‘Deny. Defend. Depose,’” the company said in a statement. “However, items that glorify or incite violence, including those that celebrate the recent murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson, are prohibited.”
Earlier this week, Audacy reported about the support the suspected gunman was receiving online. The New York Times reported that there has also been a wave of online frustration that’s come out about the health insurance industry, with many voicing their support for the gunman on social media.
The New York Post reported that the hostel on the Upper West Side, where the man is believed to have stayed during his time in the city, is receiving loads of bad reviews online. Some have gone as far as to call the workers “narcs” for cooperating with the police.
The same happened on Tuesday with the Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s, roughly two hours from Pittsburgh, where an employee called in a tip about Mangione, leading to his arrest.
Online, the trend of support has only gotten worse. According to the Network Contagion Research Institute at Rutgers University, six of the 10 most engaged posts on X either expressed support for the killing or talked badly about Thompson.
Mangione’s family has commented on the arrest, saying they don’t know anything more than the rest of the country.
“We only know what we have read in the media,” Nino Mangione, a Maryland state delegate and cousin of the alleged gunman, said in a statement on X. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.”