December 13, 2024: San Francisco-based Peak Design, maker of the backpack worn by accused assassin Luigi Mangione, is facing social media backlash because its CEO tipped off the police.
After Mangione allegedly gunned down United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4, Peak Design’s CEO Peter Dering alerted NYPD that the shooter was wearing one of his company’s “Everyday Backpacks.”
“Of course, my instinct would be to do whatever is possible to help track this person down,” Dering told the NY Times.
But Dering’s instincts may not have warned him about the potential business consequences.
Dering and Peak Design are being castigated by thousands of people online for providing police with information about a suspect who some regard as a folk hero.
Posts about the incident are going viral on TikTok and other social media platforms.
“‘Tis the season to be snitching,” said @nawalornoel in a TikTok with nearly 150,000 likes .
With some comments encouraging Peak Design customers to buy, return, and post negative reviews, the company is reportedly in crisis mode.
After I asked Peak Design for comment, the company emailed me a statement from Dering reading in part: “Peak Design has not provided customer information to the police and would only do so under the order of a subpoena.”
