A Minnesota State University (MSU) professor and a Hennepin County employee are facing criticism for social media comments appearing to support the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week.
Kevin Parsneau, a political science professor at MSU-Mankato, replied to a Facebook post that asked, “How long do we really need to look for Brian Thompson’s killer? Is today good enough? Or do they need to look tomorrow?”
Parsneau responded, “It’s going to be disappointing if he’s a one-off killer instead of a serial killer.” The post has since been deleted.
Alpha News contacted Parsneau to understand what led him to make the comment.
In an email to Alpha News, he explained, “My comment was meant to reflect the tone of the question posted by a friend on social media. It was not intended to advocate ending the investigation or violence.”
Parsneau clarified that his views do not represent those of the university and emphasized that he would not share such sentiments with students in his classroom.
“I think the general social media response reflects frustration with the healthcare insurance industry,” Parsneau added.
Hennepin County employee
An employee of Hennepin County Commissioner Irene Fernando and one-time Minnesota House District 62B candidate Bill Emory responded to a post on X (formerly Twitter) referencing Thompson’s murder that said, “you can’t be anti death penalty and pro street assassination btw,” to which Emory replied in a since-deleted tweet, “The f-ck I can’t.”
I feel like “it’s bad to kill another human even if you think they’re a bad person” is a pretty simple and agreeable concept pic.twitter.com/kkwASGdnVa
— brandon s. 🏳️🌈 (@b_cuse_) December 7, 2024
Alpha News reached out to Emory and Hennepin County District 2 regarding his comment but did not hear back.
This justification of murder from someone who works for Hennepin County is astonishingly disgusting.
Brian Thompson has a wife and two kids that live in Maple Grove, which is in the county he serves.
I hope @W_R_Emory takes down this tweet ASAP and issues an apology. pic.twitter.com/ZDMRkSZuJw
— Dan Green (@DanGreenMN) December 8, 2024
Parsneau and Emory are not alone in sharing such sentiments online. A Minnesota realtor also commented on the murder of Thompson in a now-deleted post on the social media platform X.
“If you wouldn’t feel bad over a mass murderer getting taken out in an untimely fashion, this shouldn’t bother you either,” wrote Lydia Kauppi, a realtor with Keller Williams Classic Realty Northwest.
Kauppi said Thompson allowed people to die so that he could get rich and went on to say that people who “live life like that” need to “keep one eye over your shoulder.”
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Screenshot/Lydia Kauppi/X
Rep. Walter Hudson, R-Albertville, shared one of Kauppi’s posts along with similar posts from several others, saying, “Socialists speaking their truth.”
“All of these vile comments celebrating the targeted murder of a man for being a capitalist stand as an argument for free speech,” Hudson said. “We want these people to reveal who they are and what they believe.”
All of these vile comments celebrating the targeted murder of a man for being a capitalist stand as an argument for free speech.
We want these people to reveal who they are and what they believe.
Censorship makes it easy to imagine that monsters don't exist. pic.twitter.com/h96fwtqPS5
— Walter Hudson (@WalterHudson) December 5, 2024
Following some backlash on social media, Kauppi deleted her original post.
“I deleted that post because I’m not letting Walter Hudson sicc the cancellation machine on me,” Kauppi wrote. “If he wasn’t softer than butter on a picnic table in August he would get off the computer and do some actual work for his constituents but I guess harassing us is more important.”
Former Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz also contributed to the online debate, posting on BlueSky, “And people wonder why we want these executives dead,” in response to healthcare coverage changes by Blue Cross Blue Shield.
According to the New York Post, Vox Media ended its partnership to distribute Lorenz’s podcast and YouTube show following her comments.
Suspect apprehended in Pennsylvania
Thompson, 50, was shot and killed outside of a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4, 2024. He was a husband, father of two, and a leading figure in the healthcare industry.
Authorities arrested the suspected gunman, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, on Monday and charged him with murder. They said an individual at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania recognized him from wanted posters and alerted police.
Officers found a “ghost gun”—believed to be the one used in the murder—in Mangione’s pocket, along with a fake ID and a handwritten three-page manifesto that cited grievances toward corporate America.
Ghost guns are untraceable firearms that can be manufactured using 3D printers.
