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  • February 18, 2025
McDonald’s in Altoona, PA was flooded with Google reviews after suspect was arrested for CEO murder

McDonald’s in Altoona, PA was flooded with Google reviews after suspect was arrested for CEO murder

Google stepped in this week and removed negative online reviews targeting McDonald’s after a suspect in the The murder of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson was arrested in the fast food chain’s restaurant Altoona, Pa.

This is what a Google spokesperson said Reuters the negative reviews, which were unrelated to actual business operations, violated policy and were removed on Monday. However, some reviews that appeared to reference the arrest were still active Tuesday morning, with some receiving hundreds of likes.

The negative reviews then appeared online Luigi Mangione26, was captured on Monday after a multi-day manhunt at a McDonald’s in Altoona, about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh. According to Pennsylvania State Police, he was spotted while eating at the restaurant by a customer who alerted a McDonald’s employee.

Multiple Google reviews circulated on social media, and news reports showed people criticizing the restaurant for “betraying” the suspect, leaving one-star reviews and glorifying the suspect for his actions.

USA TODAY has contacted Google for comment.

‘Shocked and devastated’: Family of suspected United Healthcare killer speaks out

Brian Thompson was named CEO of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021.

Brian Thompson was named CEO of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021.

The reviews are consistent with some social media users instead not sympathizing with Thompson’s death resorting to ridicule and memes. A similar discourse played out during high-profile news events such as the assassination attempts on Donald Trump and the sinking of the Titan submarine.

“When these types of events happen, it’s human nature to try to compartmentalize our understanding of them so that we can make sense of them and make ourselves feel better and safer.” Laura Petiforda licensed marriage and family therapist, previously told USA TODAY. “If we can believe that someone deserves what he or she got, separating ourselves from that person creates a sense of psychological safety for us.”

Petiford added that holding one man responsible for all health care problems is “akin to holding immigrants fully responsible for many of our societal challenges.”

“You can have two ideas in your head that seem contradictory,” Amy Morin, psychotherapist, author and podcast host, previously told USA TODAY. “For example, you might say to yourself, ‘It’s a shame this happened and I hope it leads to change,’ or ‘I’m sorry someone has lost their life and I hope this loss helps people understand that it’s insurance system is broken.'”

Wellbeing: The CEO of UnitedHealthcare was murdered and many had little sympathy. Why?

‘Review bombing’ after an arrest at a McDonalds in Altoona

The pessimistic comments were the latest in what’s known as “review bombing,” in which a company is hit with a slew of bad reviews based on a political view or an event unrelated to its actual business.

Mangione was arrested and charged Monday evening murder and other crimes in connection with Thompson‘s fatal shooting in New York City.

Luigi Mangione is seen in a cell after being taken into custody on December 9, 2024 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Mangione, an individual involved in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, has been transferred to the State Correctional Institution in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

Luigi Mangione is seen in a cell after being taken into custody on December 9, 2024 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Mangione, an individual involved in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, has been transferred to the State Correctional Institution in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

Authorities said they found a 3D-printed gun and a silencer when they searched Mangione’s backpack after arresting him at McDonald’s. The police officers, responding to a restaurant employee’s tip, said they immediately recognized Mangione from the widely circulated law enforcement photos after he removed his face mask at their request.

A criminal complaint filed by police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, also charged Mangione with forgery, tampering with records or identification, giving police a false ID and possession of instruments of crime. He was arraigned Tuesday and jailed without bail.

Who is Luigi Mangione? Luigi Mangione’s path from valedictorian, engineer, Ivy League graduate to murder suspect

Police cover evidence with paper cups at the scene where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot on December 4, 2024 in New York.

Police cover evidence with paper cups at the scene where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot on December 4, 2024, in New York.

‘Our family is shocked’

Nino Mangione, a Maryland state representative, is a cousin of Luigi Mangione, WBAL TV. reported. Nino Mangione released a statement on social media on behalf of the family after the arrest on Monday evening:

“We only know what we have read in the media,” says Nino Mangione posted on X. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for everyone involved.”

The Baltimore-area family gave the statement to New York City prosecutors accused Mangione of murder. The 26-year-old is currently being held in Pennsylvania but is expected to be extradited to New York.

Contributions: David Oliver, John BaconNick Penzenstadler, Jonathan Limehouse And N’dea Yancey-Bragg

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her at X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: McDonald’s in Altoona, PA, bombed after arrest in CEO shooting