No, Luigi Mangione didn’t post YouTube videos with a countdown to 'the truth'

Officials identified Luigi Mangione on Dec. 9 as the suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s Dec. 4 killing. Within hours of police naming Mangione, social media users shared a YouTube video they claimed showed the suspect had publicly hinted at his plans.

One TikTok user shared a screengrab of a video titled "The Truth." It came from a YouTube account with the name "PepMangione" and the handle "Luigi Mangione" and showed a 60-second countdown timer. "If you see this, I’m already under arrest," words inside the countdown timer read.

Another TikTok post showed the YouTube video’s countdown timer fading into a black screen with the text: "All is scheduled, be patient. Bye for now" and, in the screen’s corner, "Soon ... Dec 11th."

A third TikTok video said Mangione was preparing to go live later that day. "Luigi has me on the edge of my seat," the video’s narrator wrote in her caption.

One problem: The YouTube account was a hoax.

TikTok identified this video as part of its efforts to counter inauthentic, misleading or false content. (Read more about PolitiFact’s partnership with TikTok.)

(Screengrab from TikTok)

YouTube suspended the "Luigi Mangione" account for impersonation, Policy Communications Manager Jack Malon told PolitiFact.

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stated on December 9, 2024 in in social media posts

Substack article shows manifesto of Luigi Mangione, the suspect in health care executive's killing.

"The channel’s metadata was updated following widespread reporting of Luigi Mangione’s arrest, including updates made to the channel name and handle," Malon said in an emailed statement.

The real Mangione did own three YouTube accounts that have been removed for violating the platform’s Creator Responsibility Guidelines, Malon said. "These channels had not posted content in over 7 months," Malon said.

Some social media platforms removed accounts belonging to Mangione after he was identified as the suspect; others did not.

Meta removed his Facebook and Instagram accounts. X temporarily removed his account, then reinstated it.

A Goodreads account apparently belonging to Mangione was made private but not deleted after news outlets reported on it.

Mangione’s LinkedIn page was still up as of Dec. 10.

PolitiFact found no evidence to contradict YouTube’s statement.

We rate claims that a countdown video shows Luigi Mangione posted YouTube videos teasing his plans False.