A US man claimed he received death threats after a viral social media post wrongly identified him as the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Joey Mannarino, a political commentator, expressed his fear after his photo was shared alongside an image of the real suspect on X.
The post – which featured Mannarino’s picture under the caption “Possible match for the United Healthcare CEO assassin identified! Do you recognise this person?” – has clocked over millions of views so far.
Mannarino wasted no time in denouncing the post. “How is this allowed? This could get me killed,” Mannarino said as he reacted to the post, which its creator later defended as satire.
Sharing a screenshot of a message he received online, he said, "Due to this post, I’m receiving death threats like this one below."
Several users came in support of Mannarino and slammed the post for its “satire.” Comments ranged from calling it “disgusting” to urging legal action.
“This is in poor taste and could potentially be dangerous for you,” a user said, while another added, “It should not be allowed. You don’t even look like that man.”
The original post remained pinned to the satirical account as of Saturday, with the account bio describing its content as “brutal sarcasm, satire, relentless insights.”
Meanwhile, the investigation into Brian Thompson’s murder continues to dominate headlines. The 50-year-old executive was shot dead outside the Hilton Midtown in New York on Wednesday by a masked assailant. The killer managed to escape.
