Anyone who has access to a phone or a T.V. has heard the news about the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s assassin. Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old from Baltimore has been identified as the shooter and is now in Custody. However, people online seem to feel that what he did wasn’t as bad as it originally seems, after seeing how conventionally attractive he is. 

What seems to set Mangione apart from other handsome criminals is the motives behind his crime. United Healthcare, infamous for denying people health insurance, is an obvious target for those who rely on insurance to pay their medical bills. Evidence leads investigators to believe that Mangione may have emotionally reacted to United Healthcare due to his personal experience with them. Many young people who have strong beliefs have labeled him as a hero, and justify the murder as a heroic act against big corporations.  

This effect is due to the Halo effect, which causes people to believe that a criminal isn’t bad due to being good-looking, well-dressed, or otherwise pleasant. Other criminals, such as Richard Ramirez, who killed and raped multiple women in the 1980s, were also loved by people across the country for their good looks. Although Mangione’s intentions are more ambiguous than the heinous acts of Ramirez and similar murderers, it is unlikely that he would have been treated with the same respect if he were less attractive.

Another part of the Halo Effect is that many people will justify their dislike of people due to their good looks through their actions, and vice versa. For example, Ed Sheeran has received hate for his looks for the majority of his career and faced backlash for building his wedding venue in the area of an endangered lizard, while Luigi Mangione is recognized as a hero among young people. 

My final theory as to why young people love criminals is because of the romanticization of criminals. Many books, movies, and TV. shows depict criminals and their partners as smart, romantic people with exciting lives. This long-standing false image of criminals has created dangerous illusions since they began and will continue to unless the reality of murders, rapists, and robbers is brought to light.