McDonald’s review bombed on Google after UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect’s arrest
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McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) restaurants in Altoona, Pennsylvania were review bombed online after a suspect was arrested in connection with the shooting of a UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH) executive, prompting Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to remove the negative reviews.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot last Wednesday, triggering a nationwide manhunt for the shooter. Luigi Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s (MCD) restaurant in Altoona on Monday after an employee tipped off police. Mangione has been charged with one count of second-degree murder and four other charges.
Thompson’s murder unleashed social media rage against U.S. health insurers, with many users showing no sympathy for the executive’s death and instead slamming companies for denying claims or care.
Following Mangione’s arrest, negative and one-star ratings were posted for around three McDonald’s (MCD) locations in or around Altoona, complaining about “snitches.”
“This location has rats in the kitchen that will make you sick and your insurance isn’t going to cover it,” one user posted.
“These reviews violate our policies and have been removed,” a Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) spokesperson told Seeking Alpha. According to its policies, reviews must be based on real experiences with a location.
The hostel where Mangione stayed in New York also saw similar negative reviews online, after the NYPD circulated the suspect’s photos taken at the hostel’s front desk.