Gen Z Shoots Their Shot: Luigi Mangione

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League tech graduate from a prominent Baltimore family, was arrested for the alleged killing of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, on December 4, 2024. Thompson, known for denying health insurance claims and earning $10.2 million annually, was shot outside the New York Hilton Midtown during the company’s Investor Day. Shell casings with the messages “Deny, Defend, Depose” were found at the scene, criticizing the health insurance industry. Mangione was found on December 9 in a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania with a 3D-printed firearm, a fake ID, and a handwritten manifesto condemning corporate greed and the U.S. healthcare system. He faces eleven state charges and four federal charges, including murder by firearm, which could result in the death penalty. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Luigi Mangione has attracted much positive attention online, particularly from his fellow Gen Z audience. The obsession with Luigi has become so extreme that people are looking into every aspect of his life—his history, online activity, relationships, and more. Let’s dive into the most interesting things Gen Z has done relating to this new pop culture figure.

Gen Z’s most amusing response to this case is perhaps the Luigi Mangione Lookalike Contests held internationally due to his attractiveness, from the very first one in New York City’s Washington Square Park to others at the University of Florida, the University of North Texas, as well as the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The first Luigi Mangione Lookalike Contest was held before the alleged assassin was even caught, meaning all who gathered at this event were there for the ironic purpose of deciding who looked the most like the man who allegedly shot a millionaire while the police were conducting their own serious investigation. Because so many consider Luigi Mangione attractive, these contests had large audiences. People online also took this opportunity to create hundreds of TikTok edits of Mangione, and these edits quickly became viral. One popular edit audio used was “Criminal” by Britney Spears, demonstrating the level of seriousness with which the generation has approached this case. Gen Z has definitely made clear their love for Luigi Mangione.

Gen Z has taken to defending Luigi Mangione in any way they can. They began by bombarding the McDonald’s where an employee ratted on Mangione with negative reviews, claiming that there were “rats in the kitchen.” Friends of Luigi have also stuck up for his good character, sharing photos and videos of endearing moments they shared with Luigi. One example is a picture of Luigi Mangione with a wide smile on his face as he holds up a pint of ice cream decorated with a homemade bow made out of painter’s tape. This paints him as a very sweet friend. Another video posted by a friend of Luigi’s was captioned “Luigi Mangione … was also the only name whose FaceTime calls I would pick up. He was one of my absolute best, closest, most trusted friends. He was also the only person who, at 1 am on a work day, in this video, agreed to go to the store with drunk me, to look for mochi ice cream.” Online, it seems as if everyone who knew Luigi Mangione had anything bad to say about him, as does the Gen Z audience who has become his staunchest defenders. 

The fascination with Luigi doesn’t end there: every detail about Luigi has become public knowledge, no matter how mundane. People have searched back to his days in high school, where he attended the Gilman School, an all-boys private school. His pictures from his high school yearbook, photos of his team at high school robotics competitions, and a video of his valedictorian speech went viral across the internet. Hundreds of articles came out analyzing his health issues, particularly his back condition that resulted from an unfortunate surfing accident. 

The obsession continued as Gen Z stalked his entire online presence, finding his GoodReads profile, Tinder profile, LinkedIn profile, and more. His GoodReads has over 250 books listed as read, which was met with some silly comments such as “We love a literate king.” Notable titles included Theodore John Kaczynski’s Industrial Society and Its Future, Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Slaughterhouse-Five, and Michael Pollan’s How to Change Your Mind, and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Some observers noticed that his reading became more radical around 2020, around the pandemic and the election. Many were in awe of his impressive LinkedIn profile, using it as proof that Luigi isn’t just some murderer but rather someone who allegedly planned this to make a change. People supposedly even found his Spotify account and playlists, but if you search for it on Spotify now, you will be overwhelmed by hundreds of accounts filled with playlists of Luigi-inspired songs. The internet doesn’t rest.

Why did Gen Z respond to Luigi Mangione as they did? Here are a few guesses. First, Luigi Mangione is good-looking. This was what first brought him his fame, and it is also probably why so many are willing to look past his alleged murderer status. Next, Luigi belongs to Gen Z, so the generation feels a connection to him due to their shared generational status. Additionally, the victim of this assassination is the United Healthcare CEO. Because of the harm the CEO has caused many people by denying health insurance, Gen Z lacks empathy for Thompson. This allows people to look past the murder. Finally, Luigi Mangione’s case is a bit humorous, as the reason he was photographed is his alleged flirting with a hotel receptionist, and his backpack left on the scene was filled with monopoly money. Gen Z can relate to Luigi Mangione, which is probably a major reason for their support for him.

Luigi Mangione’s case has become more than just a legal and moral debate—it has evolved into a bizarre cultural phenomenon that perfectly captures Gen Z’s unique way of processing events. What started as a high-profile crime turned into a source of viral content and admiration. Whether it’s the international lookalike contests, obsessive deep dives into his life, or countless TikTok edits and playlists, Luigi Mangione has become a symbol of how this generation blends humor and rebellion in their response to basically everything. Luigi Mangione has certainly cemented his place as a prominent figure in pop culture today, and will likely be remembered in history as well.

Sources:

“TikTok – Make Your Day.” Tiktok.com, 2025, www.tiktok.com/@hails.inspires/video/7446834551810280735. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

Wikipedia Contributors. “Luigi Mangione.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Jan. 2025.

Taheri, Mandy. “Luigi Mangione’s Fandom Goes Global: Look-Alike Contest in Brazil.” Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024, www.newsweek.com/luigi-mangiones-fandom-goes-global-look-alike-contest-brazil-2004686. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

Castro, Sabrina. “Hundreds Gather at UF for Luigi Mangione Lookalike Contest amid Murder Case.” The Independent Florida Alligator, 13 Dec. 2024, www.alligator.org/article/2024/12/uf-luigi-mangione-lookalike-contest.

‌Williams, Patrick, and Jordan Maddox. “UNT Lookalike Contest for Luigi Mangione Wasn’t Absurd. It Was Gross.” Dallas Observer, 17 Dec. 2024, www.dallasobserver.com/news/unt-students-mimic-thompson-murder-at-luigi-mangione-lookalike-contest-21310944. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

“Reddit – Dive into Anything.” Reddit.com, 2020, www.reddit.com/r/Fauxmoi/comments/1hal2yx/all_of_luigi_mangiones_now_private_goodreads/. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.