Etsy and eBay are among the websites selling T-shirts and other products referencing New York shooting suspect Luigi Mangione.
One design features his picture with the caption “Free Luigi, F*** the System”.
“Deny, defend, depose” – words reportedly written on the bullets that killed UnitedHealthcare boss and father-of-two Brian Thompson – appear on other listings, including mugs and stickers, while some use pictures from Mangione’s social media.
A stylised image of the suspect alongside “Free Luigi” features in one eBay listing available in the UK.
Online tools make it quick to do mock-ups of such designs and create listings – which are only printed when a sale is made, a booming system known as “print on demand”.
It’s unclear how many have actually been sold.
One seller told NBC News he planned to donate any proceeds he makes to a charity that assists people with paying their medical bills.
Mangione was charged with the insurance boss’s murder on Monday after being caught eating in a McDonald’s.
Some on social media have expressed sympathy and support for the suspect, viewing him as a “hero” and criticising those who alerted police.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Who is Luigi Mangione?
Support for Mangione appears to come from resentment over the US healthcare system and accusations firms go to great lengths to avoid paying for treatments in order to maximise profits.
In a statement, an eBay representative said that “eBay policies do not prohibit the sale of items with the phrase ‘Deny. Defend. Depose,’ however, items that glorify or incite violence, including those that celebrate the recent murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson, are prohibited”.
Etsy didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Read more:
What we know about Mangione
How shooting sparked online debate
Mangione, 26, tussled with police officers on Tuesday as they escorted him to court for an extradition hearing.
It’s emerged the suspect comes from a privileged background, and went to private school and a prestigious Ivy League university.
Brian Thompson, 50, was the boss of America’s biggest health insurer and a married father of two.
He was shot in Manhattan on 4 December by a gunman who shot him from behind.
Mr Thompson’s wife said he was an “incredibly loving father to our two sons” and a “loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest”.
