Assassination of Brian Thompson

On the morning of 4 December 2024, United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead in front of a Manhattan hotel on his way to an investor conference.https://www.reuters.com/world/us/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-ny-post-reports-2024-12-04/ Fueled by anger at the United States health insurance system, an overnight true crime fandom developed in which many internet users began to make memes and fanworks associated with the assailant, who remained unidentified for several days and was given the popular moniker "The Adjuster"https://bsky.app/profile/kaylan.bsky.social/post/3lcsvo432g22x (or the "CIaims Adjuster").https://www.wired.com/story/internet-culture-luigi-mangione-major-shift-fandom/
Upon the release of images of a person of interest identified in the shooting and the arrest of 26-year old Luigi Mangione (who was subsequently charged with the murder on December 9th)https://www.reuters.com/world/us/investigators-question-man-connection-with-unitedhealth-exec-killing-reports-say-2024-12-09/, the fannish activity continued as many found Mangione to be attractive and have sympathetic motives.https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-suspect-photos-internet-reaction-1235194379/ Within days of the murder, the shooter (and Mangione who has yet to be proven guilty in a court of law) were elevated to folk hero status.https://www.thedailybeast.com/luigi-mangione-folk-hero-status-cemented-with-offers-to-pay-legal-fees/ 
Following Mangione's arrest, platforms such as TikTok, Tumblr, and Twitter continued to see a surge of activity related to the case. Many users took to expressing their support of Mangione (some believing in his evidence, others supporting his actions), making fancams and edits of him and digging through his online presence. Others dedicated time to making fanworks featuring the Adjuster/Mangione, such as reader-insert fanfiction on AO3. Other fans took this as an opportunity to write Alternate Universe stories inspired by the shooting featuring established fandoms such as the Marauders/Harry Potter and k-pop boy band TXT.https://www.reddit.com/r/AO3/comments/1hbnet5/does_your_fandom_has_a_luigi_mangione_fic_what/?captcha=1
The fan activity caught the attention of mainstream media outlets, some of which shared fan-made content to their audiences.
== Fannish Activity ==
=== Look-alike Contest ===
On 7 December 2024, a look a like contest in the vein of the earlier viral Timothee Chalamet look-alike contest was held in New York City in Washington Square Park. The event gained online notoriety.https://www.reddit.com/r/Fauxmoi/comments/1h90m3y/a_united_healthcare_ceo_shooter_lookalike/?rdt=49749 https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/1h90mee/a_united_healthcare_ceo_shooter_lookalike/ https://www.complex.com/life/a/treyalston/uhc-ceo-shooter-look-alike-contest It gained further attention in the k-pop fan community after viewers of the video noticed a group filming a dance cover of the song "Heartshaker" by Twice in the vicinity of the event. 
The anonymous winner of the contest praised the actions of the assassin and expressed that he would be donating half of the cash prize from the event to charity supporting the Palestinian people. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/nyregion/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-suspect.html
=== Common Tropes ===
*Inclusion of Luigi from Mario series - After Mangione's arrest, the use of Luigi from the Mario series became common, especially due to his name's similiarity with Luigi's Mansion.
*"Deny, Defend, Depose" - The phrase "deny, defend, depose" became a common rallying cry and feature of creative works made in response to the assassination after these words were discovered etched onto bullets at the crime scene. This phrase echoes the similar phrase "deny, delay, and defend" used to describe tactics used by insurance companies in denying claims. https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-delay-deny-defend-depose-ee73ceb19f361835c654f04a3b88c50c Delay, Deny, Defend is the title of a 2010 book by Jay M. Feinman, a law professor at Rutgers Unviersity. 
=== Fanworks ===
==== Fan Art ====
==== Fanfiction ====
===== Real-person Fics About the Adjuster/Mangione =====
*Three Bullets by Anonymous (7 December 2024) - appears to be the first fic on AO3 published with the "United Healthcare CEO Assassin" as a character.
*Deny, Defend, Depose (Dec 2024) by youllbemadeofashestoo
*Denial, Delay, and Deposition by Anonymous (8 December 2024)- an omegaverse fic
*Third Times the Charm by starskin (9 December 2024)
*Returning the Favor by 221bshrlocked (9 December 2024)
*McGuire Road Designated Dispersed Campsite 1 by basedIdiot
*Terms of Engagement by snickerdoodle_cookiebar - ships the assassin with Kamala Harris
*Bulletproof Morality by HomosexualSalmon 
*Necessity by Anonymous 
*Eye for an Eye by Subject427
*You can deny defend depose all you want, but you will never deny me. by DiscombobulateDan
*The Price by Anonymous - based off the Sold to One Direction trope
===== Fics Based in Already Established Fandoms =====
* claim denied (i would kill for you) by dream_me_theworld (8 December 2024) - 9-1-1 fic featuring Buck/Eddie
* Down in Manhattan by Anonymous (December 2024) - a Harry Potter Marauders fic featuring Regulus Black as the assassin
* 'Cause I'm the Devil, Searching for Redemption by tiedyeshirts (9 December 2024) - ships the assassin with Wade Wilson/Deadpool
* Silence (of the bullet) by Unknown2468 (9 December 2024) - Batman fanfic featuring Jason Todd as the assassin
* Robin Hood walks into a bar... by candy_cigarettes (December 2024) - Wade Wilson/Deadpool fic
* Hiding in plain sight and Under the neon sky by Beomgyusprolapse - ships Luigi Mangione with TXT member Choi Beomgyu
* The Best Way to Make Friends and Meet Siblings by emphasis_on_ghost_writer - Boku no Hero Academia fic
* The Time When the Friendly Neighbor-hood Spider-man Wasn't Friendly by LiaNeedSleep - fanfic featuring Peter Parker/Spiderman as the shooter
* One Last Howl by Bowie_is_a_wizard - a Harry Potter Marauders fic featuring Sirius Black as the assassin and the ship Wolfstar
* Deux Ex Machina by eliopals - A Series of Unfortunate Events fic
* Defending Sirius Black by Anonymous - another Harry Potter Marauders fic featuring Sirius Black as the assassin
* If I killed someone for you by DefinitelyNotCis - Arcane fanfic
* Ways of Justice by Anonymous - Batman fanfic
* Definitive Proof of Luigi Mangione’s Innocence (not clickbait) (do not watch at 3am) by GauginHater - House fanfic
* My Minimum Wage Academia by BabylonLust - Boku no Hero Academia fanfic
* John has the flu, What will we do?? by Komfy_clwon - Homestuck fanfic
* In the Heat of the Night by Duck_Degenerate - Jujutsu Kaisen fanfic
* The Juror by TabbyCatLibrarian - Hunger Games fanfic
==== Edits ====
==== Music ====
==== Merchandise ====
In response to the assassination, some people began creating and selling fan-made merchandise--often depicting the "deny, delay, depose" messaging or advocating for "Free Luigi." Online commerce platforms like Amazon and Etsy moved to remove such merchandise.https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/social-media-users-obsessing-united-healthcare-ceo-murder-suspect-psychologist-weighed-in/77-acd78954-0b03-44e4-89cc-f1a41a3b064a
== Public Reaction ==
For a fairly neutral, mainstream report on fan activity, see the Rolling Stone article "Internet Takes Lack of Sympathy Further, Thirsts for CEO Shooting Suspect Luigi Mangione" by Miles Klee.
The fannish reaction to Thompson's murder provoked a great deal of confusion and often anger from the general public. The reasons why so many people flocked to the Adjuster and Luigi (who, as of writing has yet to stand trial) were varied. An argument could be made that this behavior emerged from political unrest and dissatisfaction with the American healthcare system, though this often appeared to be overlooked. 
Governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro (the state in which Mangione was apprehended) described the support for Mangione's alleged actions as "deeply disturbing"-- which is a view taken by much of the public.https://www.yahoo.com/news/luigi-mangione-charged-murder-then-004806354.html 
Psychologist Dr. Tracy Alloway theorized that the support shown towards Mangione specifically could derive from people's desire to root for a perceived underdog with whom they can identify themselves.
Commerce platforms such as Amazon and Etsy made moves to take down merchandise showing support, and GoFundMe banned campaigns raising funds in support of Mangione.
=== Connection to Other Fannish Activity ===
In a Wired article published on December 10th, writer Angela Watercutter speculated that the Internet's obsession with the case demonstrated "a new form of fandom." While the mainstream virality of the case might appear novel, this is far from the first time an individual has gained admirers for actions deemed transgressive by wider society. 
If the fandom around the Adjustor and Mangione is understood as modern day folklore, one can easily compare this case to other dating back over a century. In a journal article published in 1990, Dr. Paul Kooistra wrote, "Such symbols emerge when the rational, formal, bureaucratic justice of the state fails to reflect popular conceptions of justice.  These symbolic figures are endemic in any culturally complex state society, although usually their appeal is to a small and relatively powerless public.  But at times when the perception of law as unjust is widespread, the heroic criminal may emerge as a national figure of epic proportions."https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/si.1990.13.2.217  Kooistra further explores this phenomenon through the case studies of Jesse James (1847-1882), William "'Billy the Kid" Bonney (1859-1881), John Dillinger (1903-1934), and Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd (1904-1934). Other criminals such as the Great Depression-era outlaw couple of Clyde Barrow (1909-1934) and Bonnie Parker (1910-1934) as well as Chicago Outfit boss Al Capone (1899-1947) have captured the attention and imagination of the American public, becoming part of the cultural zeitgeist as well. 
In an article for Slate, historian Elliott Gorn compares the phenomenon surrounding the case to other famous American folk heroes.https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/12/luigi-mangione-manifesto-unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson.html 
When viewed through the lens of historical precedent, the support shown for the Adjustor and Mangione is not surprising. 
==Resources & External Links==
*UnitedHealthcare CEO Shooter | Brian Thompson (Businessperson)'s Assassin - Ao3 tag
== References ==
Category:2024 Memes
Category:True Crime Fandom
Category:2024 Events
Category:Unfolding Events
Category:Pages that need expansion