The Sex Appeal of a Shooter : The Luigi Mangione Perp Walk

Justice, it seems, now has a camera crew. When Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was extradited to New York City, his arrival played out less like a somber moment of legal accountability and more like the climax of a prestige television crime drama.

Flanked by heavily armed NYPD officers, escorted by none other than Mayor Eric Adams, Mangione’s perp walk seemed meticulously choreographed. His brooding stare, sharp jawline, and neatly tousled hair became instant fodder for viral social media posts. But behind the internet’s tongue-in-cheek swooning and edgy memes lies a more uncomfortable truth: the American justice system has a penchant for theatrics, and Mangione’s perp walk was one of its finest performances.

Mangione is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024. The masked assailant, who fled the scene on a bicycle, was later identified as Mangione after a meticulous police investigation.His motive, as revealed by a handwritten manifesto discovered during his arrest, points to deep-seated anger toward the healthcare industry. The document referred to healthcare companies as “parasites,” railing against corporate greed and systemic injustice.

Mangione was ultimately apprehended on December 9, 2024, at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an employee recognized him from widely circulated police images. At the time of his capture, he was found in possession of a 3D-printed “ghost gun,” a suppressor, and falsified identification documents.

While these details paint a chilling picture, they also highlight the gravity of the charges Mangione faces — charges that carry significant social, political, and cultural weight with terrorism now added to the charges in New York.

The perp walk, a tradition that predates the social media era, was originally intended to showcase transparency — a visual confirmation that the accused had been apprehended. But as with many institutions in our media-saturated age, it has evolved (or devolved) into something far more performative.

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The sight of a heavily guarded, photogenic suspect escorted under glaring lights raises questions about priorities. Was the NYPD sending a message about their capability and authority? Was the Mayor’s presence about supporting law enforcement or about optics in an election year? And most importantly, how does this spectacle impact Mangione’s right to a fair trial?

Legal scholars have long criticized perp walks for their ability to taint jury pools and turn suspects into characters rather than individuals. When the narrative is shaped by curated photo angles and snappy captions, can justice truly remain blind?

The Internet Effect is apparent. Social media didn’t invent public fascination with criminals — Bonnie and Clyde’s mugshots were glamorized long before Instagram existed. But platforms like Twitter and TikTok amplify these obsessions at warp speed. Within hours of Mangione’s perp walk, hashtags like #HotAssassin and #LuigiMangione were trending.

This isn’t just internet humor. Public perception shapes reality. High-profile cases can veer dangerously into popularity contests, where perceptions of guilt or innocence hinge less on evidence and more on viral appeal.

A Free Luigi poster in streets of New York City.

This case carries significant social weight, as the victim was the CEO of a healthcare company—an industry many citizens feel has exploited them, caused immense suffering, and, in some cases, even cost them their loved ones. Luigi Mangione is being viewed by some not just as an individual suspect, but as a manifestation of deep public frustration with a system perceived as broken and unjust. This sentiment is reflected in the widespread social media reactions, where a surprising number of people see Mangione not as a criminal, but as a symbolic hero striking back against corporate greed.

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Mangione, with his Ivy League background, sharp facial features, and brooding demeanor, has become an archetype — the ‘handsome criminal’ — a trope that society seems unnervingly eager to romanticize. His face has been turned into memes, his persona dissected in online forums, and his mugshot has even spawned fan art.

The allure didn’t stop there. In the days following his arrest, his updated prison look — slightly disheveled hair and a faint smirk in court appearances — garnered even more online attention, fueling discussions about whether society’s obsession with Mangione is distorting the gravity of his alleged crime.

Mayor Eric Adams’ involvement in Mangione’s perp walk was particularly striking. It’s not common practice for a city’s mayor to personally oversee the transfer of an accused criminal. His presence risks setting a precedent where justice is not only served but marketed — a photo op for leadership rather than a somber moment of due process.

If the goal was deterrence, the execution missed the mark. If the goal was transparency, the results are debatable. What remains undeniable is that this event has become part of Mangione’s narrative in ways that the justice system will struggle to untangle.

The phenomenon surrounding if we can say it, the sex appeal of the shooter, Mangione isn’t unique but fits into a disturbing pattern. From Ted Bundy to Jeremy Meeks, society has repeatedly glamorized men accused — and often convicted — of violent crimes. Social media, with its ability to turn faces into symbols, accelerates and amplifies this effect.

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Chris Rock even joked in an SNL monologue that “no one would care if Mangione looked like Jonah Hill.” The biting humor underscores an uncomfortable truth: our collective biases about attractiveness, class, and privilege heavily influence how we perceive guilt and innocence.

Meanwhile, stories have emerged of Mangione receiving fan letters and even commissary money from besotted admirers. It’s a surreal subplot to an already deeply troubling case.

We must ask ourselves: what purpose did this performance serve? Did it reassure the public? Did it aid the pursuit of justice? Or did it simply satisfy our collective hunger for sensationalism?

At a time when public trust in institutions is fragile, law enforcement and public officials cannot afford to confuse performance with accountability. Perp walks are not inherently wrong — they can serve a purpose. But when they start resembling red-carpet events, it’s time to re-examine their utility.

As Luigi Mangione awaits trial, his guilt or innocence will be determined in a court of law — or at least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. But in the court of public opinion, where lighting, angles, viral trends and in Luigi’s case, his looks, often carry more weight than evidence, atleast in public’s eye, the verdict may have already been rendered.

Justice deserves better than a photoshoot and memes.

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