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 fast 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 active 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 news 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':Family 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 news 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 family therapist, previously told USA TODAY. "If we can believe 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 care 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 tell yourself, 'It's unfortunate this happened and I hope it leads to change,' or 'I'm sorry someone lost their life and I hope this loss helps people understand the insurance system is broken.'"

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'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 bad 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 New York City.

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 right 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 false ID, and possessing instruments of a crime. He was arraigned and jailed without bail and on Tuesday awaiting extradition back to New York City to face a murder charge filed by Manhattan prosecutors late Monday.

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

'Our family 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 family after the arrest Monday night:

"We only know what we have read in the media," Nino Mangione posted on X. "Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved."

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

(This story was updated to add information.)

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

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