Luigi Mangione entered a New York City courtroom wearing shackles for a pre-trial hearing in his state murder case, drawing a lot of attention. Mangione has been accused of killing Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Since the arrest, he has been hailed as a folk hero. This was also evident in the reactions his courtroom pictures got.
Luigi Mangione appears in courtroom
Luigi Mangione finally made a courtroom appearance on December 1, 2025, almost a year after he was accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on the streets of Manhattan. Mangione’s shackles were taken off as he entered the courtroom. The accused criminal wore a gray jacket and a red and white plaid shirt.
Mangione has been behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center since December 2024.
His courtroom pictures have gone viral on social media platforms like X and Reddit. The pictures started an active discussion on Reddit, where most seemed to be siding with Mangione, with many even hoping that he gets out unscathed.
“It’s giving acquittal,” one user responded to the post, to which another responded, “He looks like someone who’s innocent and knows all this will be cleared up pretty soon ngl.” Another user wrote, “He was wearing that shirt when he was at my birthday party on whatever date they think he shot that guy,” defending Mangione. Another user added to this, “I remember that! He and I had to step out to grab more High Noons. Saved the party fr.”
From the comments, it is clear that Luigi Mangione continues to boast his folk hero status ahead of his trial.
As of now, Mangione is facing nine felony counts at the state level, including second-degree murder. At the federal level, he is still charged with terrorism. This means that he could potentially be sentenced to death if convicted.
Originally reported by Sourav Chakraborty on Mandatory.
