The Pennsylvania McDonald’s where Luigi Mangione was arrested on Monday was “troll bombed” after staff blew his cover and called police.
The Altoona fast-food restaurant was hit with a wave of online backlash after an employee alerted authorities to Mangione, leading to his arrest for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The negative comments directed at McDonald’s were the latest in “review bombing,” in which an establishment is hit with a litany of bad reviews based on a political view or on an event unrelated to its actual business operations.
About 100 negative and one-star reviews appeared after Mangione, 26, was arrested at the restaurant, with most criticizing the restaurant and its staff.
Users flooded McDonald’s Google page with derogatory reviews that had absolutely nothing to do with the restaurant’s actual service.
“This fast food restaurant is harboring a traitor among its employees,” said the first review posted Monday. ‘The working class has betrayed humanity.’
‘Very large rat behind the counter,’ said another reviewer. ‘Not very nutritious food. I heard that the employees get free food if they work shifts. I hope they have health insurance to cover future heart attacks. oh wait.’
“This location has rats in the kitchen that will make you sick and your insurance will not cover it,” said one review.
Luigi Mangione was arrested Monday after staff blew his cover and called police to a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where this photo is believed to have been taken
Trolls ‘review-bombed’ the McDonald’s in Pennsylvania where Luigi Mangione was arrested
A woman, who did not want to be identified and who works in health care, held a protest sign outside the McDonald’s restaurant where Altoona police arrested Luigi Mangione on Monday.
“I won’t be going to this location again after they helped ‘snitch’ a guy who was just enjoying fast food,” another joked.
“The fries were sad and cold, like that’s a tell-tale sign,” read another. ‘Pretty depressing atmosphere too. It feels like someone is ratting you out.’
Another troll posted: ‘Never eating at this McDonald’s again. Imagine grabbing a Big Mac and witnessing Agent Snitchy McSnitch (Employee of the Month) calling the FBI a HERO. Dude was just trying to enjoy his McNuggets after literally uniting the Americans, and this cashier speedran called 911 faster than he ever put together a McFlurry before.”
Some reviewers accused the law enforcement employee as a “traitor,” while others posted inflammatory comments and threats.
Many sympathizers of Mangione, who was captured after a five-day manhunt, criticized the restaurant and its staff and expressed their disapproval of the arrest, directing their frustration at McDonald’s.
One viral comment falsely claimed that the restaurant was “infested with rats,” while others humorously linked the situation to McDonald’s signature menu items.
“Bro, the McRib is back, that took him down. No one can resist the return of the McRib,” one person joked.
Luigi Mangione turned out to be quite a fan of McDonald’s. He is pictured here posing with a Happy Meal
This is the Altoona McDonald’s restaurant where an employee alerted authorities to Luigi Mangione who was found with a gun and writings linking him to the brutal murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in Manhattan
At least 100 one-star reviews were left by trolls, unhappy staff had called the police on Mangione
Google intervened by removing reviews that violated its policies, stating that comments unrelated to actual customer experiences would not be tolerated.
“These reviews violate our policies and have been removed,” Google said in a statement.
The policy states that review contributions must “reflect a real experience at a place or business” and that “content posted from multiple accounts to manipulate a place’s rating” will be removed.
Despite such efforts, the incident led to calls for boycotts and sustained criticism on social media, with some users resorting to memes and sarcastic posts.
“In solidarity, I will be boycotting all McDonald’s in the area,” one user posted on Altoona’s Reddit page. “I suggest you do the same.”
McDonald’s issued a statement supporting the actions of its employees, emphasizing their cooperation with law enforcement and distancing the chain from the Mangione controversy.
Mangione has since been charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Surveillance camera footage showed Thompson was shot at close range by three bullets outside a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on December 4.
He allegedly gave police a fake ID when they started questioning him
Police say an elderly customer along with the employee alerted a local employee to him and then called police.
When police arrived, they found the suspect wearing a medical mask and looking at a silver laptop, with his backpack on the floor next to the table, according to charging documents.
He then gave officers a New Jersey driver’s license with the name Mark Rosario and date of birth July 21, 1998.
When an officer then asked him if he had been to New York recently, “he started shaking,” charging documents say.
Officers soon realized that the New Jersey driver’s license was fake, at which point an officer told him that he was under official police investigation and that if he lied about his identity, he would be arrested.
Upon hearing this, Mangione allegedly provided officers with his true identity, and when an officer asked why he lied about his name, the suspect allegedly replied, “I obviously shouldn’t have done that.”
Mangione ultimately calmly and quietly interacted with officers outside the McDonald’s, and staff members said their workday was minimally disrupted.
Mangione was then taken into police custody shortly after 9am.
Altoona police reportedly discovered that Mangione was carrying a ghost gun, believed to be made with a 3D printer.
Mangione is also said to be carrying a handwritten manifesto in which he speaks out against healthcare companies for putting profits before people.
Thompson, 50, was shot early Wednesday morning outside the New York Hilton Hotel in Manhattan by a masked man who appeared to be waiting for his arrival before shooting the executive from behind.
The insurance executive’s killing unleashed a wave of frustration among Americans who saw their health insurance claims or care denied, faced unexpected costs or paid more for premiums and medical care — all trends that are on the rise according to recent data.
The suspect ran away and then rode his bicycle into Central Park. Surveillance footage shows him leaving the park and taking a taxi to a bus station in northern Manhattan, where police believe he boarded a bus to flee the city.
Police said Thompson appeared to be deliberately targeted.