The Mangione, The Myth, The Legend: Who Gets To Be A Hero In American Vigilantism

• In Event: Front and Center: Violence in Politics

Abstract

The 2024 fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in broad daylight provoked immediate reaction from the public. Many unequivocally condemned the attack as the work of an affluent mentally-ill individual with the narcissistic goal of martyring himself and inciting violence for an “important cause” as written in his manifesto. However, young people quickly came to the defense of Luigi Mangione, with a Washington Post poll finding 41% of participants between the ages of 18-29 believe the shooting of Thompson to be justified. The large disparity in reaction to the murder reveals a class and generational divide between a frustrated youth, disillusioned by the repeated failures of the healthcare machine that have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans who could not afford steep medical costs. The intense support of Mangione by the public stands in stark contrast to the condemnation of the vigilante by mainstream news sources, indicating the public is negating the cue-taking it usually depends on for reacting to news stories. This paper will examine how the ideal American vigilante has changed throughout history, what variables determine how positively or negatively they are viewed by the public, and how the advent of social media has changed how support is generated and whether or not it leads to a greater, for lack of a better word, fanbase. The paper will look at analysis of traditional news coverage and social media discourse surrounding the shooter, Luigi Mangione, alongside public opinion polling.

Authors

• Yasmine Essaid, NYU GSAS

• Rebecca Allison Karpen, NYU GSAS