Luigi Mangione, the guy accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York, has raked in almost $300,000 to help with his legal defense. Yep, people are backing him up. It’s all thanks to a fundraiser on GiveSendGo, and the money just keeps rolling in.
By Monday afternoon, they had already hit $298,000, and by evening, it had topped $301,000. They started with a goal of $250,000, but now they’ve bumped it up to $500,000.
RELATED STORIES
Mangione’s legal defense fund gains significant support
Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York, has accepted almost $300,000 from people who claim to be his fans.
The initial goal was far surpassed
At first, the goal was set at $250,000. But by 6 p.m. on Monday, the total had already gone past $301,000. The new target? Half a million.
The December 4 Legal Committee is behind the fundraiser
The December 4 Legal Committee is the one running the whole thing. They’ve been in touch with Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, and the rest of his legal team to keep things going.
Mangione expresses appreciation for support
The post on GiveSendGo mentioned that, in response to all the donations, Karen shared Mangione’s gratitude. “In response to hearing about your 10,000+ individual donations, averaging under $30, Karen stated that Luigi ‘very much appreciates the outpouring of support,'” the post said.
It went on to say, “We feel honored to provide supporters with a reliable way to continue contributing to his legal fees through any future donations.”
Donors share personal reasons for contributing
A lot of the donors have shared why they’re helping out. Many are upset with the state of the healthcare system. One donor wrote, “I don’t ever donate to these things, but Luigi did it for us.”
“The least we can do is give him what little we have. Evil only thrives when good men see it and do nothing about it.”
Another person added, “Eat the rich! Socialism is the only way!”
A message of constitutional rights
The December 4 Legal Committee also made it clear that they’re not supporting violence.
“We are not here to celebrate violence, but we do believe in the constitutional right of fair legal representation,” they said in the fundraiser description.
The shooting incident and Mangione’s arrest
To recap: Mangione is accused of shooting Brian Thompson outside a New York City hotel on Dec. 4. Thompson was on his way to UnitedHealth Group’s annual meeting.
Mangione wasn’t hard to find after the incident. He was arrested a few days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
The gun he had matched the shell casings at the scene, and his fingerprints were found on a water bottle and snack bar wrapper near the crime scene.
Mangione faces federal and state charges
Mangione’s got a lot of legal trouble on his plate. He’s facing federal and state charges related to Thompson’s death.
The list of charges includes multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism.
Supporters view Mangione as a hero
Believe it or not, despite the charges, some people are seeing Mangione as a hero. They’re frustrated with the healthcare system, and his arrest has only added fuel to their fire.
Apparently, the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” were written on the ammo found at the scene, which are all terms used to criticize insurance companies for avoiding paying claims.
Poll shows public opinion on the killing
A recent poll shows that most Americans think the person who actually committed the murder is the one who should take responsibility.
However, there are still many who think the healthcare system — especially insurance companies denying coverage — is partly to blame for the incident.
Only time will tell if this outpouring of support changes anything. Stay tuned as the case unfolds!
