Google removed scores of negative reviews of the McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was found Monday.
Google said the restaurant was being “review bombed” after suspect Luigi Mangione was apprehended by police.
According to Google, the flood of one-star reviews were inaccurate, violating the site’s review policy.
Many of the reviews were satirical and indicated sympathy for Mr. Mangione. One posting even called the murder suspect “an American hero.”
“This location has rats in the kitchen that will make you sick and your insurance isn’t going to cover it,” one read.
Mr. Mangione was charged in the murder of Thompson, 50, who was shot outside a Manhattan hotel last week. A customer at the Altoona location phoned local authorities after seeing Mr. Mangione, believing he looked like the shooter.
Monday’s arrest ended a five-day manhunt after the suspect managed to evade police and escape New York City after the murder Wednesday. Police say the suspect fled to Manhattan’s Central Park before catching a taxi to a northern bus station.
The satirical reviews removed by Google mirror the kinds of comments found all over social media in the wake of Thompson’s murder last week. Despite the brutal nature of the killing, many in the U.S. reacted positively to Thompson’s death, sharing their hatred of the private insurance industry.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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