An enormous image of Luigi Mangione covered a building in Manhattan ahead of his upcoming court hearing Friday.
The image reads “Free Luigi” and depicts Mangione as a saintly or Christ-like figure touching a heart at the center of his chest with a halo around his head.
Mangione is the alleged assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and faces an 11-count indictment. The charges include one charge of murder in the first-degree and two charges of murder in the second-degree. He also faces weapon and forgery charges. Mangione pled not guilty.
The image sparked tons of controversy and online discussion. One commenter who shared the image said, “It’s wild to see how the Mangione case has polarized people, some see him as a symbol of frustration with healthcare, while others focus on the gravity of the crime.”
An online movement, with the slogan “Free Luigi,” has developed around the 26-year-old Towson, Maryland native. There is even a Reddit community called r/FreeLuigi.
Commenters celebrated him, saying, “free my king” and “This is beautiful.”
Magione suffered from constant back pain and frequently complained online about negative experiences with the healthcare system.
Mangione released a short manifesto explaining his actions, stating, “Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming. A reminder: the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy.”
