Google intervened and removed negative online reviews aimed at McDonald’s this week after a suspect in the killing of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson was arrested at the quick food chain’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

A Google spokesperson told USA TODAY on Tuesday the negative reviews, which were unrelated to the actual business, violated its policies and were removed. Some reviews that appeared to reference the arrest were still energetic Tuesday morning, with some receiving hundreds of likes.

The spokesperson confirmed Google would continue to remove additional derogatory reviews online.

According to Google’s online policies, contributed content must be based on the reviewer’s real experiences with a location, and Google closely monitors policy-violating content. Google is also is placing additional protections on the profiles to prevent further off-topic reviews.

The negative reviews popped up online after Luigi Mangione, 26, was captured on Monday following a multi-day manhunt at a McDonald’s in Altoona, about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh. According to Pennsylvania State Police, he was spotted eating at the restaurant by a customer who alerted a McDonald’s employee.

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Multiple Google reviews circulated on social media and in information reports showed people slamming the restaurant for people “snitching” on the suspect, leaving one-star ratings and glorifying the suspect for his actions.

‘Shocked and devastated’:household of suspected United Healthcare killer speaks out

The reviews are in line with some social media users who did not sympathize with Thompson’s death, instead resorting to mockery and memes. A similar discourse played out during high-profile information events like the assassination attempts on Donald Trump and the sinking of the Titan submersible.

“When events like this occur, it is human nature to try and compartmentalize our understanding of it to make sense of it and make ourselves feel better, safer,” Laura Petiford, a licensed marriage and household therapist, previously told USA TODAY. “If we can depend that someone deserves what they got, separating ourselves from that person creates a sense of psychological safety for us.”

Petiford added that holding one man accountable for all issues in the health worry industry is “akin to holding immigrants wholly responsible for many of our societal challenges.”

“You can hold two ideas in your mind that seem contradictory,” Amy Morin, psychotherapist, author and podcast host, previously said to USA TODAY. “For example, you might inform yourself, ‘It’s unfortunate this happened and I aspiration it leads to transformation,’ or ‘I’m sorry someone lost their life and I aspiration this setback helps people comprehend the insurance structure is broken.'”

Wellness:The UnitedHealthcare CEO was killed and many had little sympathy. Why?

‘Review bombing’ following an arrest at an Altoona McDonalds

The pessimistic comments were the latest in what is known as “review bombing,” where a business is hit with a slew of impoverished reviews based on a political view or an occurrence unrelated to its actual business.

Mangione was arrested and charged Monday night with murder and other felonies in connection to Thompson‘s fatal shooting in recent York City.

On Tuesday, he was being held in Pennsylvania but was expected to be extradited to recent York sometime soon, officials said.

Authorities said they found a 3D-printed handgun and a silencer when they searched Mangione’s backpack upon detaining him at the McDonald’s. The police officers, responding to a restaurant employee’s tip, said they recognized Mangione correct away from widely distributed law enforcement photos once he removed his face mask upon their request.

A criminal complaint filed by police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, also charged Mangione, with forgery, tampering with records or identification, giving police untrue ID, and possessing instruments of a crime. He was arraigned and jailed without bail and on Tuesday awaiting extradition back to recent York City to face a murder expense filed by Manhattan prosecutors late Monday.

Who is Luigi Mangione?Luigi Mangione’s path from valedictorian, engineer, Ivy League grad to murder suspect

‘Our household is shocked’

Nino Mangione, a Maryland state delegate, is a cousin of Luigi Mangione, WBAL-TV. reported. Nino Mangione released a statement on social media on behalf of the household after the arrest Monday night:

“We only recognize what we have read in the media,” Nino Mangione posted on X. “Our household is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We propose our prayers to the household of Brian Thompson and we inquire people to pray for all involved.”

The Baltimore-area household issued the statement before recent York City prosecutors charged Mangione with murder.

Contributing: David Oliver, John Bacon, Nick Penzenstadler,Jonathan Limehouse and N’dea Yancey-Bragg

Natalie Neysa Alund is a elder reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and pursue her on X @nataliealund.