Luigi Mangione's social media flooded with flirty texts and followers after his arrest in Brian Thompson's murder

Luigi Mangione's social media flooded with flirty texts and followers after arrest in CEO's murder

Luigi Mangione's social media presence has exploded after being identified as a person of interest in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione, who was arrested on charges of weapon possession and forgery, saw a dramatic surge to over 27,000 followers after his identity was revealed.

Luigi Mangione, 26, a suspect in the New York City killing of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson, poses for a booking photograph at State Correctional Institution (SCI) Huntingdon in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, U.S. December 9, 2024.(via REUTERS)

Many of these new followers have left supportive messages for the suspect. Authorities are also taking action, searching Mangione’s residences and seizing electronic devices in an attempt to gather evidence and find any possible motives.

Luigi Mangione's social media gains attention

After a McDonald’s staff member called 911 to report a suspicious person having lunch, Luigi Mangione was detained and taken into custody for further investigation. Now, his social media is blowing up.

This morning, Mangione, who is currently being questioned by authorities after being picked up in Altoona, Pennsylvania, had just 975 followers on Instagram. However, that number has exploded by tens of thousands, according to TMZ, with many users expressing interest in the 26-year-old identified as a former Ivy League student.

Even more concerning is the nature of the newfound attention. Despite Mangione's inactive profile since 2021, his current followers, numbering over 27,000, express a disturbing attraction to him. Shockingly, some have openly stated they'd be attracted to him romantically.

Comments on Luigi Mangione’s social media posts included messages of appreciation, with one fan thanking him for “sacrificing himself for the greater good of society.” Many others demanded his release and suggested starting a GoFundMe campaign for his legal defense fund, the outlet reports.

Luigi Mangione's X account suspended

Mangione's alleged X (formerly Twitter) account also saw a surge in followers with his recent tweets getting a lot of traction, skyrocketing from less than a thousand to over 80K, with the numbers continuing to grow. However, during his scheduled arraignment in a Pennsylvania courthouse on Monday night, Mangione’s X account was suspended. The techie, who claims to be a base engineer allegedly wrote posts, which included discussions on solutions for Japan’s declining population rates and other social commentary all those that stopped being visible after 6 p.m. ET.

YouTube deletes video linked to suspect of Thompson’s murder case

A YouTube video was reportedly uploaded from an account linked to Luigi Mangione, the ‘person of interest’ in UnitedHealthcare CEO’s death. The video's caption implied Mangione's arrest. YouTube subsequently took action by suspending the account for impersonation and terminated three other linked channels as well.

"The channel's metadata was updated following widespread reporting of Luigi Mangione's arrest, including updates made to the channel name and handle," YouTube’s spokesperson told Newsweek. The video-sharing platform has since suspended the account for "violating our policies covering impersonation, which prohibit content intended to impersonate another person on YouTube.”