Luigi Mangione, the alleged shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4, 2024, has been seen as somewhat of a folk hero for his supposed act of vengeance in targeting the unpopular U.S. health insurance industry.
The 26-year-old University of Pennsylvania alum became a sex symbol after thirst trap photos of him shirtless surfaced online during a highly publicized manhunt after he was named a "strong person of interest."
Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9 and is facing 11 charges for the shooting that took place outside a New York Hilton Midtown hotel.
The bizarre obsession over the suspected murderer reached another peak after a photo of his shackled bare ankles in court went viral.
During his pretrial hearing in New York City on February 21, 2025, Mangione, who made his first appearance on state charges of murder as an act of terrorism, was photographed inside the Manhattan courthouse appearing rather academic-chic and straight out of the pages of a Ralph Lauren catalog.
Rather than donning the orange jumpsuit, Mangione wore a dark green cable-knit sweater with a white dress shirt, khaki trousers, and penny loafers without socks. He also wore a bulletproof vest.
A photo zooming in on Mangione's shackled bare ankles left some social media users feeling strangely hot and bothered.
And now, without further ado…here are his sockless feet in loafers, with shackled ankles casually crossed, no less.
Here is a TikTok video capitalizing on his natural good looks…and those tanned-skin bare ankles.
@jessiebravo47 If you know me in real life please keep going this content is not for you. #luigi #mdc #newyork #news #unitedhealthcare #luigimangione #healthcare #ceo
One TikToker wrote, "The photographer documenting the loafers was going for extra credit."
Another could hardly contain themselves, writing, "The ankle shot is frying me 😩😭😭😭."
A third said, "Them shackles styled like anklets... Leather clean on da shoes.. Eyes weaponized."
People couldn't stop salivating over the photo on X (formerly Twitter).
Those who felt torturously teased wanted to see more.
Want the shoes? Look no further!
It didn't take long for admirers of Mangione to pine for a crime series penned by American Horror Story scribe Ryan Murphy.
Many thought Hollywood star Dave Franco looked like the suspected killer and they unanimously pitched him to play Mangione in a hypothetical crime show or biopic.
In response, The Disaster Artist actor commented, "I've never received more texts in my life about anything.”
On December 17, 2024, Mangione was indicted on eleven New York state charges by the Manhattan District Attorney's office, including murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism, and criminal possession of a weapon.
He received four additional charges two days later, including stalking and murder through the use of a firearm.
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