An image of what appeared to be accused killer Luigi Mangione modelling a Shein shirt appeared on the fast-fashion chain’s website, prompting the item to swiftly sell out.
Mangione, who is awaiting trial for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, appeared to model a white short-sleeved shirt with floral detail, which reportedly was selling for $11.
It is unclear how the picture was made but the Chinese company is probing whether artificial intelligence could have been used.
“The image in question was provided by a third-party vendor and was removed immediately upon discovery,” the company said in a statement.
“We have stringent standards for all listings on our platform. We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes, and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies,” the statement added.
The image of the 27-year-old was spotted on Shein’s website late Tuesday.
Mangione’s legal team declined to comment when approached by The Independent.
Mangione is awaiting trial behind bars at the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, where Sean “Diddy” Combs is also being held.
The Ivy League graduate faces four federal charges for the fatal shooting of Thompson, who was gunned down in midtown Manhattan last December. The charge of murder through the use of a firearm carries the possibility of the death penalty.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Prosecutors said last week that Mangione has inspired others to embrace violence over reasoned debate.
As evidence of Mangione’s growing influence, prosecutors cited last month’s deadly mass shooting at the National Football League headquarters.
The prosecution outlined the threat in a filing on a procedural matter in federal court in Manhattan, where they plan to try to convince a jury that Mangione deserves death.
In their filing last week, prosecutors wrote that Mangione poses a continuing danger in part because he seeks to influence others.
“Simply put, the defendant hoped to normalize the use of violence to achieve ideological or political objectives,” they said. “Since the murder, certain quarters of the public — who openly identify as acolytes of the defendant — have increasingly begun to view violence as an acceptable, or even necessary, substitute for reasoned political disagreement.”
In a footnote, prosecutors referenced the gunman who went into an office building not far from where Thompson was shot in midtown Manhattan, then killed four people including an off-duty police officer, a financial services firm executive and a security guard, and wounded others, including an NFL employee.
No federal trial date for Mangione has been set.
The Associated Press contributed reporting
