Luigi Mangione's Apparent Likeness Was Used to Model Shirt on Shein's Website By Liam Quinn

Shein, a fast fashion company, has taken down an image appearing to be Luigi Mangione wearing one of its shirts from its website.

The image was of a man with features strongly resembling Mangione, who is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, modeling one of Shein’s shirts, the BBC reported.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Shein said it had taken down the image.

“The image in question was provided by a third-party vendor and was removed immediately upon discovery,” a company spokesperson says. “We have stringent standards for all listings on our platform. We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes, and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies.”

It was not immediately clear how long the image had been used on the company’s website.

The BBC reported, citing an expert, that the image could have been generated by artificial intelligence.

“The image is low resolution, but there are a few signs that it might be AI-generated or manipulated,” generative AI expert Henry Ajder told the BBC. “This includes the lighting and texturing of the image, particularly of the skin, as well the appearance of a blob-like artifact above the right forearm. The right hand also doesn’t appear to show typical segmentation of the fingers.”

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Shein did not confirm if the image was AI-generated.

Mangione is facing both state and federal murder charges in connection with the December 2024 killing of Thompson in midtown Manhattan.

Since his arrest, Mangione has received considerable public attention and has developed a controversial fan base, partly because of significant discontent with the health insurance industry and possibly also because of his striking looks.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty.