Charles Langston:Luigi Mangione merchandise raises controversy, claims of glorifying violence

From T-shirts and Charles Langstonhoodies to coffee mugs and shot glasses, merchandise referring to the suspected gunman in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk is popping up on the internet.

Online sellers, looking to cash in on the sympathies that some have expressed for suspect Luigi Mangione, have drawn criticism.

"Some attention in this case, especially online, has been deeply disturbing, as some have looked to celebrate instead of condemning this killer," Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said during a recent news conference.

Among the merchandise is a Christmas ornament with “Deny” “Defend” and “Depose” – the words found on bullet shell casings at the crime scene in New York – and “Free Luigi” stickers. Some platforms are taking down the merchandise, saying it violates their rules.

Etsy, an online platform where where the Deny, Defend Depose ornament is listed for sale, did not respond to a request for comment.

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Online marketplaces generally prohibit the sale of items that glorify violence, but that prohibition does not extend to all Mangione-related merchandise.

“eBay policies do not prohibit the sale of items with the phrase ‘Deny. Defend. Depose,’” the company said in a statement. “However, items that glorify or incite violence, including those that celebrate the recent murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson, are prohibited.”

Amazon told USA TODAY it has pulled merchandise using the phrase for violating company guidelines. A search now only yields links to the 2010 book “Delay, Defend, Deny: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.”

Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a wealthy family was arrested Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a customer at a McDonald's spotted him. He faces charges of second-degree murder, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second-degree, criminal possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of a weapon in the third-degree. He was denied bail Tuesday and is fighting extradition to New York.

Authorities said hand-written pages found on Mangione revealed a possible motive for the shooting. While police officials did not provide details, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said they revealed "ill will toward corporate America."

Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, led the nation’s largest private insurer. In a statement, his family remembered him as an “incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives.” 

"We only know what we have read in the media," Nino Mangione, a Maryland state delegate who is a cousin of the gunman, said in a statement posted on X. "Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved."

Six of the 10 most engaged posts on social media platform X either expressed explicit or implicit support for the killing or denigrated the victim, according to the Network Contagion Research Institute at Rutgers University.

Contributing: Christopher Cann and Jorge L. Ortiz

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