The McDonald’s location where Luigi Mangione was apprehended is receiving a surge of negative reviews, seemingly in support of the man now in custody.
Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, aged 50, was fatally shot outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, New York, in what is believed to be a deliberate attack.
Following the incident, a nationwide search for Mangione was initiated, with his images being circulated and a $60,000 reward put forth by the FBI and NYPD.
Mangione, 26, was eventually captured at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday (December 9). This occurred after an employee identified him and alerted the authorities.
The fast-food chain is now experiencing unusual criticism, as numerous one-star reviews have been submitted to Yelp and Google within the last day.
A recent review read: “The staff accused me of assassinating a CEO. Incredibly unprofessional and class-traitor staff.”
Similar negative feedback has followed, with one person labeling the McDonald’s as a ‘fed hotspot’ and suggesting that officers frequent the area, searching for reasons to detain people.
In a sarcastic twist, some are showing support for Mangione by sharing exaggerated stories and jokes, criticizing the restaurant for employing ‘snitches’ and urging a ‘boycott’.
One review stated: ‘Fire all the rats working here’, while another commented on the poor service and ‘rats everywhere’.
Another review added: “Dog food, rats everywhere.’
Meanwhile, Yelp has paused reviews for the Altoona McDonald’s due to ‘unusual activity’ following ‘increased public attention’.
The alert states: “While we don’t take a stand one way or the other when it comes to this incident, we’ve temporarily disabled the posting of content to this page as we work to investigate whether the content you see here reflects actual consumer experiences rather than the recent events.”
Before this notification, numerous reviews referencing ‘snitches’ had already been posted.
A Yelp user commented: “The fries were sad and cold, like that snitch’s heart. Pretty depressing atmosphere too. Feels like someone might rat out on you.”
This commentary arises as many online express their support for the accused, with some of the reactions linked to perceptions of health insurance companies prioritizing profits over people.
Thompson was killed outside the hotel during an investors’ meeting hosted by UnitedHealthcare.
Mangione appeared in court on Monday night, five days after the alleged murder, and faces charges for Thompson’s death.
The McDonald’s employee reportedly contacted the authorities after observing Mangione’s ‘suspicious behavior’ at around 9.15am.