 "'Not an ordinary killing': Man who shot UnitedHealthcare CEO charged with first-degree murder & terrorism")
Luigi Mangione, the alleged killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has been indicted by a New York Court on charges of murder. He has also been charged of second-degree murder “as an act of terrorism.”
Mangione is accused of shooting dead Thompson on a Manhattan street on December 4. A nationwide manhunt was launched to track him down after he fled from the scene.
The 26-year-old an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland family was arrested on December 9 when he was spotted at McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Mangione is currently being held there on gun charges. New York prosecutors are working to extradite him.
Mangione indicted on 11 counts
On Wednesday (December 17), Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said a grand jury indicted Mangione on 11 counts, including first-degree murder and murder as a crime of terrorism.
“Mangione has been charged with one count of murder in the first degree and two counts of murder in the second degree, including one count of murder in the second degree as an act of terrorism,” Bragg said.
If convicted on all counts, Mangione would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Why a terrorism charge?
Bragg said that the terrorism charge has been included because the shooting met the prerequisites for such a determination under New York law.
“In its most basic terms, this was a killing that was intended to evoke terror and we’ve seen that reaction,” Bragg said.
“This was not an ordinary killing,” he further said.
Mangione has also been charged in Manhattan supreme court with multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon and a single count of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
‘Well-planned, targeted murder’
“This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation,” Bragg told reporters.
“The intent was to sow terror," he further said.
Mangione has also been charged with several crimes related to his possession of a weapon, which authorities said was a 3D-printed “ghost gun.”
Impact Shorts
View All“We allege he… took out a nine-millimeter 3D-printed ghost gun equipped with a 3D-printed suppressor and shot (Thompson) once in the back and once in the leg,” Bragg said.
“These weapons are increasingly proliferating throughout New York City and the entire country. Evolving technology will only make this problem worse,” he further said, adding that in 2023, more than 80 ghost guns and their parts were recovered in Manhattan alone.
Bragg further said he had indications that Mangione may waive his right to contest his extradition to New York.
A hearing over his extradition is scheduled for Wednesday (December 18) in Pennsylvania.
‘Wanted’ posters of healthcare executives across New York & social media
Thompson, 50, was killed at gunpoint on December 4 in midtown Manhattan as he was walking to attend UnitedHealthcare’s annual investors’ meeting.
Authorities said that the crime was motivated by frustrations with the insurance giant. Also, the shell casings recovered from Thompson’s murder scene had words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” carved on it.
When Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania, cops recovered multiple fake IDs, a US passport, and writings about the insurance industry, including a manifesto praising filmmaker Michael Moore’s critique of healthcare from his possession.
Thompson’s murder has sparked widespread outrage against US health insurance companies, with several people sharing personal stories of coverage denials and exorbitant medical bills.
Also, “Wanted” posters featuring other healthcare executives appeared in New York and on social media after the shooting.
Many Americans defended Mangione
The killing of Thompson has ignited an outpouring of anger from Americans struggling to receive and pay for medical care.
After the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO, many Americans defended Mangione’s alleged actions because they viewed Thompson as complicit in denying or deferring what they saw as needed care.
Mangione has also been hailed by many as a Marxist folk hero and a “hot assassin”, among many other titles.
As per government data, Americans pay more for health care than any other country, with spending on insurance premiums, out-of-pocket co-payments, pharmaceuticals and hospital services on the rise in recent years.
Mangione has been celebrated in some circles, and more than a thousand donations have poured into an online fundraiser for his legal defence.
‘No heroism in what Mangione did’
Meanwhile, New York police commissioner Jessica Tisch said any attempt to rationalise Mangione’s alleged actions was “vile.”
“In the nearly two weeks since Mr Thompson’s killing, we have seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder,” she said.
“Let me say plainly: there is no heroism in what Mangione did. We don’t celebrate murders and we don’t lionise the killing of anyone," Tisch further said.
Last week, UnitedHealth Group said Mangione was not a customer of the health insurer.
With inputs from agencies.
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