Mangione was formally charged in New York with murder as an act of terrorism and criminal possession of a weapon in the cold-blooded crime against the director of one of the largest health insurers in the United States.
Luigi Mangione, man accused of shooting to death UnitedHealth Group executive in New YorkBrian Thompson, was charged with murder as an act of terrorism, prosecutors said Tuesday as they worked to transfer him to a New York court from a jail in Pennsylvania.
“This type of premeditated and targeted gun violence cannot and will not be tolerated,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement announcing the indictment.
Mangione He was already charged with murder in the death of Brian Thompsonon December 4, but the accusation of terrorism is new.
Under New York law, such a charge can be filed when it is alleged that a crime “is intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, to influence the policies of a unit of government through intimidation or coercion, and to affect the conduct of a unit of government through murder or kidnapping.”
Mangione's attorney in New York has not commented on the case.
Mangione, 26, suffered from chronic back pain that affected his daily life, according to his friends and social media posts, although it is unclear whether his personal health played a role in the crime.
The young man was charged with first- and second-degree murder, as well as criminal possession of a weapon, according to prosecutors.
Thompson, 50, was shot and killed while walking to a Manhattan hotel where Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare — the second-largest health insurer in the United States — was holding an investor conference.
“This was a terrifying, well-planned and targeted murder intended to generate shock, attention and intimidation,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said at a news conference Tuesday. “It occurred in one of the busiest parts of our city, threatening the safety of local residents and tourists alike, as well as travelers and businesspeople who were just starting their day.”
After days of police searching and media coverage, Mangione was spotted at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and arrested. New York police have said Mangione had with him the gun used to kill Thompson, a passport and several fake IDs, including one he presented to check into a New York hostel.
The 26-year-old was charged in Pennsylvania with weapons offenses and forgery, and jailed there without bail. His attorney in Pennsylvania has questioned the evidence for the forgery charge and the legal basis for the weapons charge. The lawyer has also said Mangione would fight extradition to New York.
Mangione has two hearings in Pennsylvania scheduled for Thursday, one of them regarding his extradition, Bragg said.
(With information from Associated Press and Reuters)