Less than two weeks after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down on the streets of midtown Manhattan, his alleged assassin Luigi Mangione has been greeted not by universal condemnation for the brazen violence – but rather, a surge of enthusiastic support online for his so-called vigilante justice.

The Center for Internet Security (CIS), a nonprofit focused on cybersecurity that partners with government and law enforcement, released a new threat assessment bulletin warning that online support for the alleged shooter risks encouraging copycat attacks.

“Overwhelming bipartisan support for the attack” across social media “has resulted in several narratives encouraging similar violent activities directed at other healthcare executive teams,” CIS analysts said.

“The narratives supporting Mangione’s targeted attack likely serve to encourage like-minded individuals, particularly as Mangione continues to be viewed by the public as an ‘American hero’ and sympathetic figure,” CIS’ bulletin said.

  • Allonzee@lemmy.world
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    11 days ago

    It would be both sad and pointless if people targeted the owner’s capital defense force thugs (police) and bribed middle managers (judges/politicians).

    That would muddy the waters needlessly and further the cause of the owner class of keeping us at each other’s throats.

    Our oligarchs whole thing is keeping us hostile towards one another. They don’t care who kills who, kids killing kids, cops killing poor, poor killing cops/judges/politicians, all livestock killing livestock to them, big woop. They only freak out when someone they consider a person is killed, there’s only 1 metric that determines that for them, and even most of their bought politicians don’t qualify on net worth.