RIP

The man accused of fatally shooting the UnitedHealthcare CEO is being celebrated by a portion of the country ... and now some are trying to make a buck off that twisted admiration.

Here's the deal ... Luigi Mangione was apprehended Monday ... and hours later, the Manhattan D.A. charged him with murder in the brazen December 4 fatal shooting of Brian Thompson.

Ever since the cold-blooded murder ... Mangione cultivated a large fan following of those who hate the health insurance industry -- so, it is not that big of a surprise that there's now merchandise celebrating the suspect.

Luigi Mangione is now charged with the cold-blooded killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO ... and social media is being flooded with memes hailing the suspect as a hero.

Here's the deal ... 26-year-old Mangione was apprehended Monday and hours later the Manhattan D.A. charged him with murder for the brazen December 4 fatal shooting of Brian Thompson. He's also facing charges of criminal possession of a weapon, possession of a forged instrument, and 2 counts of possession of a loaded firearm.

Mere minutes after the suspect was identified and internet sleuths found his socials ... admirers began posting Super Mario Bros. and "Sopranos" memes celebrating Mangione.

Luigi Mangione, who has been named a person of interest in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has been described as an all-around good guy ... this according to his friends.

Sources close to Mangione tell TMZ ... they don't have anything negative to say about the person of interest -- though, some had some not-so-nice things to say about his family. (More on that later on!!!)

One pal described LM as "an exceptionally kind and compassionate friend" ... and made a point to highlight that Mangione, who attended University of Pennsylvania, is a "very intelligent" individual.

The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was one of the biggest stories of the week ... so, it wasn't surprising when "Saturday Night Live" addressed the situation first thing on 'Weekend Update.'

Check it out ... longtime 'Weekend Update' co-anchor Colin Jost weighed in on the shooting at the very top of the sketch show's segment ... as he roasted New York City officials for the ongoing manhunt and called out the country's thirsty reaction to the suspected shooter's looks.

As Jost put it ... there were two distinct reactions when images of the alleged assassin surfaced this week -- "Yeah, well healthcare stinks" and "Girl, that shooter hot."

Eminem performed in front of a packed crowd of hundreds of thousands of fans this weekend less than one week after the death of his mom.

The rapper had an audience of more than 40,000 fans at Etihad Park on Saturday where he delivered a powerful performance that marked the third after-race concert of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix series.

The show comes just days after TMZ broke the story that his mom, Debbie Nelson, died following a battle with advanced lung cancer. She died in St. Joseph, Missouri at the age of 69.

Newly released body cam footage from New Jersey state police captures the moment the driver, accused of killing Johnny Gaudreau and his brother while driving drunk, struggles through a field sobriety test right before being taken into custody.

Check out the clip -- Sean Higgins, puffing on a cigarette, tells officers he was "freaked out" as they questioned him about the crash, claiming he’d had beers but the last one was two hours ago.

Cops ran some tests to see if he was intoxicated, and after eventually being slapped in handcuffs, Sean is heard asking, "Is everybody okay back there? I mean, what happened?" A trooper responds, "We’ll talk about that when we get to the station."

A jarring event took place in NYC on Saturday ... when an apparent look-alike contest was held -- and very much attended -- for the suspect who killed the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in cold blood this week.

Online reaction to the gathering is a mixture of shock and celebration ... putting a fine point on how polarizing the murderer has become.

Several people in Washington Square Park came dressed in clothing that resembled what the suspect -- who remains at large -- wore when he fatally shot Thompson outside his hotel.

Internet sleuths believe they have found the jacket worn by the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... and now it is morbidly flying off the shelves.

On Reddit, a user speculated the suspect's jacket was a Sherpa Lined Two Picket Hooded Trucker Jacket by Levi's ... sold at Macy's for the retail price of $225.

The jacket's popularity has since spread like wildfire on the company's website ... where more than 6,000 people were viewing the jacket at the same time -- and nearly 700 were sold in the past 48 hours, according to an item popularity tool on Macy's site.

5:52 PM PT -- Tyler Perry has broken his silence over the death of Steve Mensch ... expressing his deep admiration and respect for his friend ... while noting how hard this time of year is for him with devastating losses.

"This time of year, grief meets me like an unwanted visitor, as tomorrow marks 15 years since the loss of my mother. It feels especially harder because I have lost so many friends and mentors this year, ranging in age from as young as 40 to 92. And today, yet another loss.

I’ve been trying to understand this tragedy all day—what went wrong with that plane. Steve loved flying, and he loved that plane; he took so much pride in it. I’m praying for his family as we all try to make sense of this heartbreak.

Life is but a moment; we are like vapors. Hold strong to the people you love AND TELL THEM!"

9:03 AM PT -- Tyler Perry Studios Studios has released an official statement on Steve Mensch's death.

“Steve was a cherished member of our team for more than 8 years, and well beloved in the community of Atlanta. It is hard to imagine not seeing him smiling throughout the halls. We will miss him dearly. Our heart goes out to his family as we all send them our prayers.”

Steve Mensch, the president and manager of general operations at Tyler Perry Studios, was killed in a single-seater plane crash in Florida on Friday night, a source close to the studios told TMZ.

Mark Withers -- a veteran actor who spend decades in the biz and appeared on such shows as "Stranger Things," "Magnum, P.I." and "Dynasty" -- has died.

In a statement to Variety ... Mark's daughter, Jessie, said the cause of death was pancreatic cancer ... and he died Nov. 22.

“He confronted his illness with the same strength and dignity he brought to his craft, creating a legacy of warmth, humor, and dedication, along with his remarkable ability to make every role unforgettable," Jessie said.

Daniel Penny -- the man who choked Jordan Neely to death on a NYC subway -- has avoided a conviction so far this week after a jury of his peers could not come to a unanimous decision Friday in his trial ... and prosecutors decided to drop the top charge in the case as a result.

The prosecution moved to dismiss the second-degree manslaughter charge after the jury twice told the judge today they could not come to a unanimous verdict.

The judge agreed to drop the charge ... and the jury will reconvene Monday to consider the lesser charge in the case -- criminally negligent homicide. If convicted, he could face up to 4 years in state prison.

The suspect who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson handled his gun proficiently during Wednesday's shooting -- something that's painfully clear, according to a former FBI agent.

Jennifer Coffindaffer spoke with us on "TMZ Live" Friday and broke down the suspect's expertise -- pointing out how he used a silencer on the gun, fully aware it could cause jams, and cleared it like a pro without missing a beat when it did.

Watch the video ... Coffindaffer digs into the suspect’s firearm skills and breaks down what the 3 distinct shots reveal about the man behind the trigger.

Chuck Norris is in mourning ... because his mom, Wilma, is dead.

The "Walker, Texas Ranger" star just announced his mom's death ... saying she died Wednesday morning and "went home to be with Jesus."

Chuck is remembering his mother as "a woman of unwavering faith, a beacon of light in our lives" ... and he says "her love reflected God's grace."

Private security firms have been inundated with calls since the cold-blooded murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... but the high-profile case won't necessarily change how companies protect execs long-term, TMZ is told.

In the days since Thompson was shot dead on the streets of NYC ... multiple private security firms have been flooded with service inquiries and price quotes.

Ian Dahlberg, owner of Dahlcore Security Guard Services, tells TMZ ... there has been a noticeable uptick in calls -- from executes looking for private security to film studios wanting to beef up guards on the lot.

The suspect who killed United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson may have disappeared into Central Park after the shooting Wednesday morning in a premeditated attempt to evade cameras ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... The suspect rode an e-bike on Center Drive into Central Park after the shooting seemingly with the knowledge the multi-block blackout area would provide cover as he disposed of evidence.

We're told there are no surveillance cameras INSIDE the park, but there are some at the entrances and exits of the famous Manhattan oasis. This may surprise many people in a city known for its multitude of cameras on streets and businesses everywhere.

Following the execution of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson by a gunman in NYC, the insurance company and several competitors have scrubbed online bios of their execs.

UnitedHealthcare’s "About Us" page used to display the resumes of its senior leadership, including Thompson's, but now users are redirected to a generic tab solely covering background info about the corporation.

Other health insurers have followed suit ... Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's 25 plus executive profiles have been wiped from its "About Us" page.