Google had to remove a flood of negative reviews aimed at a McDonald’s after a shooting suspect was arrested there, stirring up controversy and memes.
New York City: So, here’s the scoop. Google had to step in after a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, got slammed with a ton of nasty reviews. Why? Because that’s where they caught Luigi Mangione, the guy wanted for the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, Brian Thompson.
It all went down after a five-day manhunt. Mangione was finally spotted munching on some fries at the McDonald’s. A customer recognized him from the news and tipped off the staff, leading to his arrest.
But then, things took a wild turn. After the arrest, people started flooding the McDonald’s with fake reviews, calling it a “rat-infested” place and saying it was a hangout for “snitches.” Some even compared it to a scene from *The Sopranos*.
Google quickly jumped in, saying those reviews broke their rules and had to go. They want reviews to be based on real experiences, not just a bunch of angry comments. Yelp faced a similar wave of negativity, too.
Meanwhile, the murder of Thompson sparked a lot of chatter online, with some folks even calling Mangione a “folk hero” for his actions. Pennsylvania’s Governor wasn’t having any of that, though. He made it clear that there’s no place for vigilante justice in America.
It turns out Mangione had some serious issues with the healthcare system, which he expressed in a manifesto found by the police. This isn’t the first time a McDonald’s has been review bombed, either. Remember when Trump worked the fryer? That place got hit hard with funny one-star reviews, too.