A Michigan worker has been accused of stabbing the president of his company in a possible 'copycat' attempted murder following Luigi Mangione's alleged assassination of the UnitedHealthcare CEO.
Erik Denslow, the president of car part manufacturer Anderson Express Inc, was brutally stabbed by an employee during a Tuesday staff meeting in the company's Muskegon office, according to police.
The suspect, identified as Nathan Mahoney, 32, allegedly stabbed Denslow 'in the side with a knife' at 9:30 am before quickly driving away.
But police were able to catch him after about 15 minutes and he was charged with assault with intent to murder and fleeing a police officer, People magazine reported.
He is being held on a more than $500,000 bond and was arraigned on Wednesday, but records did not have any plea information listed.
Denslow was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery. He is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery.
Co-workers told police that Mahoney has a 'quiet demeanor' and no specific motive for his violent outburst has been revealed. In his mugshot, the suspect is pictured smiling.
But Fruitport Township Deputy Chief Greg Poulson told News 8: 'We haven’t ruled out copycat motive in regards to this.
'I think that comes to everyone’s mind in this time. We’re going through all his social accounts, all his electronic media and trying to determine a motive for this act.'
He went on to say that violence and aggression against company higher-ups 'seems to be the popular thing in this day and age' after healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was assassinated in New York City.
Mangione, 26, has been arrested and charged with Thompson's murder, but has received loads of support and praise for his alleged actions.
'A psychopath was idolized and now there are going to be people emulating him,' one Instagram user wrote, speculating about a connection between Mahoney and Mangione's actions.
Another chimed in: 'This is sick. It's open session on CEOs I guess. People actually think it's okay.'
One commenter said: 'People tired of working hard and their bosses getting richer and richer... not saying this is right!'
The first Mangione 'copycat' is thought to have been a Florida woman who was accused of threatened her health insurer with the words Mangione allegedly wrote on the bullets that killed Thompson on December 4.
Briana Boston, 42, was charged over a threatening call she is alleged to have made to BlueCross Blueshield about a rejected medical claim.
Towards the end of the call, she allegedly told the operator: 'Delay, deny, depose. You people are next.'
She told investigators that 'healthcare companies played games and deserved karma from the world because they are evil.'
Boston allegedly claimed she chose the words 'because it's what is in the news right now,' referencing Thompson's death.
On Thursday, Mangione appeared in court in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania for his extradition hearing.
After the hearing, Mangione was escorted out of court and flown to New York City on a private jet. Around 700 people were tracking the flight path online.
The alleged murderer waived a preliminary hearing on the Pennsylvania forgery and gun charges in exchange for the prosecutor giving him a 20-page investigative report from the Altoona Police Department.
At court, dozens of Mangione fans rallied outside with signs conveying support for the suspect. At least two of them were dressed as Luigi from the Super Mario Bros video game.
