Letters | Is Luigi Mangione a folk hero, really?

Readers discuss the fandom around the American suspect in a shooting, and the reality of life on the BN(O) visa scheme

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Luigi Mangione arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court on December 23. Photo: TNS

Published: 2:30pm, 31 Dec 2024

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Decades ago, there was a gangster by the name of Cheung Tze-keung, alias Big Spender, who was notorious for his high-profile kidnappings of tycoons’ sons, Victor Li Tzar-kuoi and Walter Kwok Ping-sheung.

No doubt his purpose in abducting them and committing other crimes was to get his hands on massive amounts of money and make a name for himself. While some in Hong Kong might admire his guts, very few would think of him as any kind of hero.

But now we have Luigi Mangione, the suspected killer of insurance executive Brian Thompson, being hailed as a hero in the United States. On social media, he has been lionised for apparently venting his anger at the health insurance industry and capitalism and there have been calls to “Free Luigi”. Besides, he happens to be good-looking.

Mangione is from a wealthy Italian-American family, and an Ivy League graduate to boot. Amid reports that he suffered from chronic back pain, it is understandable that he could have been angry at the healthcare industry. But should he have jeopardised his future to symbolically punish a capitalist?

In a free society, surely there are many ways to air grievances and demand reform that do not involve shooting a father of two with a home-made gun.