Mangione Copycat? CA Man Opens Fire in a Walgreens, Says He Has 'Grudge' Against Big Pharmacies

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

Americans were shocked on December 4, 2024, when the video of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson being murdered in cold blood by Luigi Mangione went viral. Thompson, a husband and father, was in New York City on his way to an early morning meeting when Mangione shot him. Thompson was essentially killed because of what he did for a living, heading up an insurance company. Sadly, high-profile murders such as Thompson's and the motives for them often spawn copycats.

Advertisement

On Monday night, a man walked into a Madera, California, Walgreens and opened fire, killing one employee and shooting at fleeing customers. The shooter, who has been identified as Narciso Gallardo Fernandez, was shown on a surveillance camera at the entrance of the store, where he pointed a gun at the camera, said something unintelligible, and then shot out the camera. It is unknown if he targeted this particular store. However, Madera Police Chief Gino Chiaramonte said that they believe this to be a random attack and do not believe Fernandez and the victim, store employee Eric Velasquez, knew each other. Fernandez was arrested in the store's parking lot as he was reloading his gun. 


Read More: AG Pam Bondi Orders Prosecutors to Seek Ultimate Penalty in Mangione Case


When police questioned Fernandez, Chief Chiaramonte stated that he told police it was because he "hates big pharmacies." The shooting has drawn chilling parallels between his disdain for big pharmacies and Mangione's alleged motive of hatred for the healthcare system in general. Police are saying they have found no connections between the two incidents. 

Advertisement

But it's hard to imagine there is not a connection. Fernandez drove 80 miles from his home to do this, so he most likely did not have a connection to this particular store. He also did not appear to target an individual, but it is hard to miss the idea, based on his police interview, that he wanted to send a message. 

In my former life, I spent 30 years as a pharmacy technician, three of those in retail. Whenever you are dealing with people and their ability to get drugs and how much they cost, things can get sketchy quickly. The general public thinks that pharmacy employees have more power than they actually do when it comes to pushing prescriptions through the system and into the hands of the customer. 


Also Read: Depraved: 'Grateful' CEO Killer Suspect Luigi Mangione Makes First Comments, Sets Up Website for 'Fans' 


Since Luigi Mangione's arrest for the murder of Brian Thompson, he has been elevated to folk hero status by those who also have a hatred for insurance companies and the healthcare system, namely the left and the legacy media. So, if you are someone thinking about committing some sort of copycat crime, why would you not believe you would receive the same status? Unfortunately for Narciso Gallardo Fernandez, that will not happen because he does not have the same hunky, buff good looks as Luigi Mangione and, therefore, will not garner the media attention that Mangione has. 

Advertisement

There is also one other somber similarity to the Thompson murder and that of Walgreens employee Eric Velasquez. Velasquez also leaves behind a wife and two children. He is being remembered by regular customers as always smiling and ready to help. Velasquez's coworkers have set up a GoFundMe page to support his family. District Attorney Sally Moreno says she is preparing to file murder charges. 

Many on the left have turned killers like Luigi Mangione into cult heroes, and it’s depraved.

Help us keep exposing this sickness, and consider becoming part of the RedState team. Join our VIP membership today, and use promo code FIGHT to get a whopping 60% off.

Recommended

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Trending on RedState Videos