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Supporters of Luigi Mangione have donated tens of thousands of dollars to “defense funds” set up for him after his arrest on suspicion of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

The anonymous fund “Legal Committee of December 4” exceeded $90,000 in donations on the crowdfunding site. GiveSendGo by Saturday.

The group’s name apparently refers to the day the 26-year-old allegedly shot and killed a healthcare official on a busy Manhattan street.

“We are not here to celebrate violence, but we believe in the constitutional right to fair legal representation,” the group said in a statement.

It comes after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg called support for Mr. Mangione abhorrent, fearing he would be turned into a martyr.

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“Celebrating this behavior is repugnant to me. It’s deeply concerning,” Mr. Bragg told ABC News on Wednesday evening.

“And what I would say to members of the public, to people who, as you described, are celebrating this and perhaps considering further action, is that we will be vigilant and we will hold people accountable” , he added.

Mr. Mangione was arrested on Monday with a 3D-printed gun at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, following a six-day manhunt for the hooded gunman who shot Mr. Thompson last week.

The weapon matched three shell casings found at the crime scene and marked “deny,” “defend” and “drop,” police officials said this week.

Mangione also possessed a silencer, a 262-word manifesto, a spiral notebook containing a “to-do list” and several fake ID cards.

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Mr. Thompson, 50, was shot in the back on December 4 outside the Hilton Midtown in New York, with surveillance footage showing a dark hooded figure with a gray backpack shooting several feet away. distance.

Since the shooting, the high-profile murder has made international headlines. Mangione is currently being held without bail in a Pennsylvania jail awaiting extradition to New York where he faces a murder charge. He also faces charges for violations of Pennsylvania’s firearms law.

However, under New York law, he is only charged with second-degree murder, which carries a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

Indeed, the more severe charge of first degree murder only applies to a restricted list of aggravating circumstances, notably when the victim is a judge, police officer or first responder, or when the murder involves a murder for hire or intent. commit terrorism, according to CNN.

After his arrest, Mangione was charged and arraigned on five offenses in Pennsylvania, including forgery, false identification and carrying a firearm without a license.

On Monday, he made a brief appearance at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg where he was informed of the charges against him and said he understood.

The suspect returned to the Blair County courthouse as he faced an extradition hearing Tuesday after New York prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder in connection with Mr. Thompson’s killing .

“This is completely out of touch with reality and it is an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience,” Mangione shouted as he was escorted into the courthouse in handcuffs.