Is this Luigi Mangione skateboarding? Viral video leaves netizens stunned

A

viral video

that surfaced on

social media

, claiming to show Luigi Mangione, the prime suspect in the assassination of

UnitedHealthcare CEO

, skateboarding, has left the internet buzzing. The video, shared on X (formerly Twitter) on December 16, 2024, shows a man in a black jacket and blue denim

skateboarding

across a parking lot. In the clip, the individual performs an impressive jump over a medium-height fence, and the post quickly gained traction.
Another video was shared by an account on social media, which labeled the footage "incredible skateboarding skills" by Mangione. The caption read, "Cultural Touchstone Luigi Mangione stuns in newly discovered footage displaying his incredible skateboarding skills! This claim prompted thousands of comments from users who were either impressed by Mangione’s apparent talent or baffled by his newfound fame. Some netizens expressed astonishment, claiming that the 26-year-old suspect’s skills rivaled those of professional skateboarders.

"Bro is gaining aura every day, sigh," one user commented, while another wrote, "HOW DOES HE KEEP GETTING COOLER BRO?" Some even speculated that Mangione’s skateboarding abilities were as good as a professional’s. "This is professional skater stuff," one user remarked. Others joked about Mangione’s "master skills" in various areas of life, despite the serious charges against him.

However, the viral video was soon debunked by X's

Community Notes

, which clarified that the man in the video was not Luigi Mangione. The footage actually featured professional skateboarder

Guy Azulay

, not Mangione. Azulay’s Instagram account, which posted the original video days before it was shared on X, confirmed the identity of the skateboarder. The video, filmed by Trevor Dare, had also been misattributed to Mangione by many viewers who had been drawn into the online frenzy.

Despite the revelation, the video continued to spread as several Instagram users mistakenly believed it featured Mangione, leaving comments under the post that joked about Luigi’s "side quest" in skateboarding. Azulay’s post garnered significant attention, accumulating over 76K likes. While some fans were initially confused, they quickly realized their mistake and laughed off the blunder.
The viral video is just the latest in a series of online phenomena surrounding Mangione, who became an

internet sensation

after his arrest on December 9, 2024, in connection with the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO. Following the arrest, internet sleuths eagerly dug into Mangione’s personal life, finding a flood of supposed details about his past and speculating about his future. The skateboarding clip was yet another twist in the ongoing saga of public fascination with Mangione.

As the video continues to circulate, there remains an ongoing debate about how to view Mangione in light of his alleged crime. Some netizens expressed discomfort with the glorification of a suspect in a murder case. "Stop glorifying a murderer," one user commented, while another expressed their uncertainty, "I’m not sure if we are supposed to support or not support him." Others, however, chose to focus on the entertainment aspect of the video, joking about Mangione’s "talent" while ignoring his alleged actions.
Despite the confusion, the video was ultimately not related to the serious charges Mangione faces for the assassination of the UnitedHealthcare CEO.