The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday that Luigi Mangione has been charged with first-degree murder and other crimes in the ambush and killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson this month.
The first-degree murder incitement to terrorism charge strengthens the charges against Mr. Mangione, 26, in the Dec. 4 killing of Mr. Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel.
The New York State Supreme Court indictment also charges Mangione with two counts of second-degree murder, including one count of terroristic murder. two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon; four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon; one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon; One count of second-degree criminal possession of a counterfeit instrument, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
Bragg called Thompson’s killing a “brazen, targeted, premeditated shooting” at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
“This was a horrifying, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation,” he said, “and it was the most busiest of our cities. It happened in one of the areas and threatened the safety of local residents and tourists alike, “commuters and businessmen just starting their day.” ”
Bragg added that the terrorism charge was warranted because the killing was “intended to cause fear.”
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Tuesday that unsealing the indictment would move the case closer to securing justice for Thompson and his family.
Tisch slammed some of the reactions the deadly shooting sparked, some praising Mangione as a hero rather than a murderer.
“This was a senseless act of violence. “This was a cold, calculated crime that took lives and put New Yorkers at risk. I don’t do that,” she said.
Tisch added that any attempt to justify the killing is “despicable, reckless and offensive” to the principles of justice.
A UnitedHealth Group spokesperson said the indictment was “an important step forward in our pursuit of justice for the murder of our colleague Brian Thompson.”
“We are working with law enforcement authorities to assist Brian’s family, friends, and colleagues in finding closure,” the spokesperson said.
The charges began to pile up on Mangione after he was identified and arrested after a massive manhunt at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9th.
He was charged with felonies of forgery and possession of an unlicensed firearm, as well as misdemeanor charges related to the alleged fraudulent use of identification documents, and was in custody in Pennsylvania, where he was fighting extradition.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, press secretary, told NBC News that she will file an extradition order and paperwork once the indictment against Mangione is filed.
A person familiar with the situation told NBC News that Mangione plans to waive extradition at a hearing Thursday. Mr. Bragg said at a news conference Tuesday that his office has received indications that this is the case, which means Mr. Mangione will be “immediately brought to New York.”
Mangione’s Pennsylvania attorney, Thomas Dickey, said he will plead not guilty in the New York and Pennsylvania cases. Karen Friedman Agnifilo was retained to represent Mangione on the charges in New York. She declined comment Tuesday afternoon.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday that Thompson was shot in the back with a 9mm handgun, once in the back and once in the leg.
The agency said the ammunition found at the scene had writing written on it, two spent shell casings had the words “Rejected” and “Discarded,” and the bullets found had the words “Delayed” written on them. It is said that he was suffering.
When Mangione was arrested, police found a gun, fake identification, a notebook and handwritten documents, officials said.
The document criticizes the broader U.S. health care industry and large corporations, particularly United Healthcare, three senior law enforcement officials said. The document also reads in part: “Frankly, these parasites saw it coming,” the official said.
Mr. Thompson’s murder and the charges against Mr. Mangione have sparked debate and outrage about the U.S. health insurance industry and health care system.
Mangione had been missing for several months before the shooting. The family notified San Francisco police in mid-November that the mother last spoke to her son on July 1, according to a missing person flyer.
He spent 2022 in Hawaii, where he exacerbated a long-standing problem while surfing, people who know him there said.
Neither Mangione nor his parents had UnitedHealthcare insurance, according to UnitedHealth Group. Police said the company may have been targeted because of its size.
Mangione is being held at the Huntingdon State Correctional Facility in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, prison officials said.
