Most Americans say health insurance profits and coverage denials share the blame in the December 4 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to a new poll.
Why It Matters
The suspected killer of Thompson, Luigi Mangione, has seen a surprising amount of support, especially from young people online. His staunch supporters see him as a hero who stood up against the crooked private healthcare industry.
The outpour of support for Mangione, including the online thirst traps of the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, has disturbed most people. However, about 70 percent of people in a survey from NORC at the University of Chicago believe Manigone doesn’t hold all the responsibility for Thompson’s murder.
What To Know
The NORC poll conducted between December 12 and 16 found roughly 7 in 10 adults believe that the profits or coverage denials by health insurance companies bear “a great deal” or “moderate amount” of responsibility for Thompson’s murder.
Meanwhile, about 8 in 10 adults believe Mangione bears a “great deal” or “moderate amount” of blame for the murder.
A total of 1,001 adults were surveyed. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
Luigi Mangione Pleads Not Guilty
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to New York state and federal murder and weapon charges, among other charges. He is currently being held at a federal prison in Brooklyn after being extradited from Pennsylvania, where he was arrested at an Altoona McDonald’s following a five-day manhunt.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) was frantically searching for Thompson’s killer earlier this month after Thompson, 50, was gunned down at around 6:45 a.m. ET while he was walking alone to an annual investor conference in Midtown, Manhattan.
Links To The Health Care Industry
The words “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were found on the shell casings at the crime scene. The three words are alleged tactics used by insurance companies to avoid paying claims.
Meanwhile, a notebook found on Mangione during his arrest included several pages of writing that “express hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular,” a federal complaint unsealed last week said.
What People Are Saying
Spectators held signs in support of Mangione outside courts in Pennslyvania and New York on December 19, the day the suspected killer was extradited.
One sign read, “Deny, Defend, Depose.” Another sign read, “Murder For Profit Is Terrorism” and “Free Luigi.”
Adam Giesseman, who held the “Free Luigi” sign, told ABC News: “Our country is broken.”
Another spectator who went by Natalie told the outlet that the insurance system is “set up for profit over people’s health.”
“It’s unfortunate that this happened, and I’m not glorifying it in any way—but it’s brought attention to the issue that affects all Americans,” she added.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters after Mangione was indicted on state charges that authorities “have seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder.”
“Let me say this—plainly there is no heroism in what Mangione did,” she added.
What Happens Next
Mangione faces the possibility of the death penalty with his federal charges. If convicted of his state charges, he could get a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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