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Last week, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in New York City by a masked assailant in an apparent targeted attack, and the incident has sparked a massive public conversation about the perceived greed of healthcare companies in America.
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This week, police apprehended 26-year-old Luigi Mangione as a suspect in the killing at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Mangione was found with a gun, fake IDs, and a handwritten document alluding to an “ill will towards corporate America,” according to authorities. He has since been charged with second-degree murder.
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Discussing this phenomenon on Fox News, conservative host Laura Ingraham slammed “nutbag people” supporting the shooter and calling Mangione “cute,” referring to it as a “sickness.”
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This seems to be standard fare from Fox News — but the clip is going mega-viral for another reason. Directly after Ingraham’s words, she leads into the other top story of the night — the “not guilty” verdict of Daniel Penny.
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Former Marine Daniel Penny was on trial for the 2023 death of subway performer Jordan Neely, who died after Penny held him in a chokehold for almost six minutes on a New York subway. According to NBC, Neely had entered the train and thrown his jacket to the floor, then said he was hungry and thirsty and wanted to go back to jail. Some passengers reported being fearful, though Neely was unarmed, and other passengers said he didn’t even approach anyone, though one passenger said he made “lunging movements.” Penny claimed Neely had threatened to kill people and that he was attempting to “de-escalate” the situation and restrain Neely until police could arrive.
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The trial was a microcosm of arguments about race and police brutality in America, as Jordan Neely was Black and Penny is white. Yesterday’s “not guilty” verdict prompted further discussion and anger at a system that criminalizes homelessness and mental health crises in the US but excuses murder and manslaughter when it comes from a white authority figure.
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Others, especially conservatives, celebrated the verdict — Ingraham returned from the break after talking about Mangione to announce, “Some very good news tonight; I can report that all hope is not lost in New York.”