Luigi Mangione has been indicted on murder charges for an “act of terrorism” in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, New York prosecutors revealed on Tuesday.
The indictment was announced during an afternoon press conference, days before the suspect is set to appear in Pennsylvania court for a preliminary hearing on gun charges. He was arrested in the Commonwealth after a nearly week-long manhunt.
The 26-year-old is accused of fatally shooting the healthcare executive on the streets of Midtown Manhattan on the morning of December 4 and then eluding police for five days before he was arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.
The suspected shooter has retained high-profile attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo to defend him. Agnifilo previously worked at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, serving as the chief assistant district attorney for seven years, before moving to private practice in 2021.
Mangione’s supporters continue to donate thousands of dollars for his “defense” fund. The anonymous fund “December 4th Legal Committee” has amassed more than $140,000 in donations on the crowdfunding website GiveSendGo.
Luigi Mangione to appear in Pennsylvania court on Thursday
Luigi Mangione is scheduled to appear at the Blair County Courthouse, in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning for a fugitive from justice hearing.
The 26-year-old Brian Thompson shooting suspect is also scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. preliminary hearing at the same courthouse relating to gun charges which saw him arrested at an Altoona McDonald’s last Monday.
The preliminary hearing was originally scheduled for Monday, according to court documents.
James Liddell18 December 2024 14:01
ICYMI: Luigi Mangione indicted on murder charges with prosecution calling it ‘act of terrorism’
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has been indicted on murder charges, with prosecutors in New York describing it as “an act of terrorism.”
The indictment comes as a poll found four in 10 young adults consider the killing of health insurance CEO “acceptable.”
The new poll by Emerson College found that 41 percent of young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 found the killing acceptable, while 68 percent of people surveyed overall believe it is unacceptable.
Rhian Lubin has the details.
James Liddell18 December 2024 12:30
Comment: Luigi Mangione and the dark truth behind our reaction to his arrest
Set with the task of tracking down a fugitive from the law, you can guarantee social media will track them down in record time – even if the only thing to go by is a small, three-inch gap between a mask and a hood. As was the case with the suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson.
The NYPD released a set of images taken in the back of a taxi on Sunday, and within less than 24 hours, the internet had gleaned from the dark, bushy eyebrows alone that it was 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, a Baltimore-born graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, who comes from a prominent family.
But once found, the circus didn’t stop there. As well as identifying the suspect, social media sleuths tracked down his LinkedIn, Twitter – even his Goodreads – profiles. And just as fast came the memes, objectification and reactionary vlogs.
Read Emma Clarke’s full piece below.
James Liddell18 December 2024 11:00
The full list of charges against Luigi Mangione in New York
A grand jury indictment in New York charges Luigi Mangione with the following:
- first-degree murder
- two counts of second-degree murder, including one count as “an act of terrorism”
- two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree
- four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree
- one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree
- one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree
The first-degree murder and one of two second-degree murder counts accuse Mangione of committing “an act of terrorism, involving a violent act and acts dangerous to human life” that was “intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policies of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion, and affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination or kidnapping.”
James Liddell18 December 2024 09:30
NYPD chief blasts social media commentary surrounding Mangione
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch condemned what she called a “celebration” on social media of Brian Thompson’s killing.
“In the nearly two weeks since Mr. Thompsons killing, we have seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder,” she said Tuesday.
She said NYPD discovered “ghoulishly plastered posters” threatening other CEOs.
“I just can’t wrap my head around someone celebrating this,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.
Alex Woodward18 December 2024 08:00
Everything we know about the killing of Brian Thompson
Brian Thompson was in New York for UnitedHealth Group’s annual Investor Conference.
Then he was shot dead on the sidewalk.
Here’s what you need to know about the case:
Alex Woodward18 December 2024 06:00
Mangione’s prominent Baltimore relatives are ‘shocked and devastated’ by CEO shooting
Mangione family patriarch Nick Mangione was reportedly born to an illiterate father in Baltimore’s Little Italy before the Second World War. He fought in the Pacific and made his fortune as a contractor and then a real estate developer in the baby boom years.
More on what we know about Luigi’s family, from The Independent’s Io Dodds:
Alex Woodward18 December 2024 05:00
What was on Luigi Mangione’s alleged to-do list?
Luigi Mangione allegedly laid out his plot to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a spiral notebook, including a chilling “to-do list” and plans considering using a bomb in the Manhattan attack.
Alex Woodward18 December 2024 04:00
Who is Luigi Mangione’s defense attorney?
Luigi Mangione has retained a top New York attorney for his legal defense in connection with the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Alex Woodward18 December 2024 03:00
What’s next for Mangione?
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is expected to issue a warrant for Luigi Mangione’s extradition to New York after a grand jury indictment unveiled murder and weapons charges against the suspected killer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
He is due in court in Pennsylvani on Thursday.
Mangione was arraigned last Monday in Pennsylvania on felony counts of forgery and carrying a firearm without a license, as well as three misdemeanors: tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of crime and providing false identification to law enforcement.
On Tuesday, Manhattan prosecutors charged him with three murder counts and eight weapons charges.
He faces life improsonment without parole on the New York charges.
Alex Woodward18 December 2024 02:00