Luigi Mangione smiling photo from court goes viral
A photo of Luigi Mangione smiling after leaving court has gone viral on social media.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state murder and terror charges. Mangione, 26, was arrested in Pennsylvania following a search for the gunman who was believed to have shot United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4 in Manhattan.
Mangione is now in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC).
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Mangione outside of normal working hours via email for comment.
Why It MattersMangione has become the subject of feverish internet discourse, and has been upheld by social media users as everything from a fashion icon to a martyr and a sex symbol.
Though many were aghast at the New York City killing, others are viewing Mangione as a folk hero, expressing their frustration with America's private healthcare industry.
What We KnowThis viral photo is the latest installment in a series of images of Mangione that have circulated across the internet.
Mangione entered a Manhattan court room in shackles yesterday. Outside the court, protestors chanted "Free Luigi."
Images of him smiling in the court room quickly circulated online. Then, a picture of him leaving court in the back seat of a car was shared. There are two men in the front of the vehicle, and Mangione is in the back, grinning out at the cameras.
Though his own family were not present in court on Monday, around 24 women were there to support Mangione.
There is a significant amount of support for Mangione online. Supporters have raised funds for his defense (over $187,000 through crowdfunding platforms, including one on GiveSendGo), and his fan mail is reportedly stacking up in prison.
Social media posts and photos of Mangione have become a hot topic online, and the majority of these emphasize his perceived good looks.
A compilation of photos that showed him grinning in court has received 9.1 million views on X at the time of writing.
Another photo compilation of Mangione in court was titled "Luigi Mangione proves in court he does NOT have bad angles."
It doesn't stop there. A picture of Mangione depicted as Jesus displayed near his hometown has gone viral, receiving 6.4 million views at the time of reporting.
And the Mangione discourse extends into the fashion sphere. The popular fashion Instagram account Diet Prada, which has a following of 3.4 million people, has been posting about Mangione, and comparing his outfits to that of popular designers.
Yesterday, the account made a post that likened Mangione's court outfit to that of the Italian designer Prada's Spring Summer 2013 Runway collection.
What People Are SayingMangione's Attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo told reporters that he is being "treated like political fodder," after New York Mayor Eric Adams met Mangione at his extradition. "He is not a symbol, he is someone who is afforded a right to a fair trial."
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg spoke at a news conference last week where he announced the state charges. He said that, "In its most basic terms, this was a killing that was intended to evoke terror."
What's NextMangione will be tried in New York City for homicide and related charges, and his next court appearance is scheduled for January 18, 2025.
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