NEW YORK — In the days since Luigi Mangione was charged with murder for gunning down a top health insurance executive, more than a thousand donations have poured into an online fundraiser for his legal defence, with messages supporting him and even celebrating the crime.

In New York, "Wanted" posters with the faces of CEOs have appeared on walls. Websites are selling Mangione merchandise, including hats with "CEO Hunter" printed across a bullseye. And some social media users have swooned over his smile and six-pack abs.

Mangione has been charged with murder for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a father of two, in a brazen shooting on Dec 4 outside a Manhattan hotel before an industry conference, setting off a five-day manhunt for the masked assailant.

The crime he is accused of has been broadly condemned, but the Ivy League educated, photogenic 26-year-old has become an unsettling mixture of folk hero, celebrity, and online crush in certain circles. His support has only seemingly intensified since his arrest on Monday (Dec 9).

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