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The generation that’s grown up with school shootings have apparently become numb to gun violence, as a newly conducted university poll has found that 40% of voters under the age of 30 find the murder of former United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson “acceptable.” Thompson was shot and killed in New York City outside of a Hilton Hotel ahead of the annual United HealthCare investors meeting.
Following Bran Thompson’s murder, a multi-day manhunt led to the arrest of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with his murder in New York and additional crimes in Pennsylvania. Reports indicate the words “deny”, “defend” and “depose” were written on bullet shell casings found at the scene of the crime.
While Magione has been celebrated by some on social media, a new poll from Emerson College has found that 41% of voters aged 18-29 find Thompson murder “acceptable.”
“A majority of voters (68%) think the actions of the killer of the United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, are unacceptable. Seventeen percent find the actions acceptable, while 16% are unsure. While 68% of voters overall reject the killer’s actions, 41% of voters aged 18-29 find the killer’s actions acceptable (24% somewhat acceptable and 17% completely acceptable).”
The study added that “men were slightly more inclined to find the actions acceptable compared to women: 19% versus 14%.”
The findings of the Emerson College poll is likely tapping into something that Bill Burr zeroed in on when discussing the murder of Thompson on his podcast, as he pointed out the “incredible lack of empathy from the general public” in regards to Thompson’s death.
“None of these news programs are talking about (how) the incredible lack of empathy from the general public about this is because of how these insurance treat people when they’re at their most vulnerable, after we’ve all given them our money every f—— month, and now we need you, and all you do is deny us,” Burr said.
Reports indicate that Mangione plans to plead not guilty to the murder charges, with his lawyer Tom Dickey says he hasn’t seen “any evidence” that Mangione committed the crimes he’s being charged with.
“I haven’t seen any evidence that they have the right guy. I haven’t seen a speck of evidence at all. They need to convince me,” Dickey told CNN earlier this month.
Mangione was arrested at an Altoona-area McDonalds on Monday, December 9, and was allegedly in possession of a gun, bullets, multiple fake IDs and cash, resulting of charges in possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police in Pennsylvania.
Given the media attention surrounding Mangione, his upcoming murder trial could be one of the most highly-publicized criminal proceedings in this country’s modern history.