UnitedHealthcare shooter Luigi Mangione indicted; faces death penalty if convicted
What's the story
Luigi Mangione has been charged by a grand jury in Manhattan federal court for the alleged murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year. He was charged with two counts of stalking, one firearms offense, and murder through use of a firearm. If convicted on the charge of murder through the use of a firearm, Mangione could potentially face the death penalty.
Legal proceedings
Attorney General seeks death penalty in Mangione's case
This is the first time since the Joe Biden administration placed a moratorium on federal executions in 2021 that a federal death penalty has been requested. Mangione's attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, responded to the directive, criticizing the Justice Department's decision as "political and goes against the recommendation of local federal prosecutors." She further claimed it goes against both law and historical precedent.
Expanded charges
Mangione faces additional charges in Pennsylvania and New York
Along with the federal indictment, Mangione also faces murder and terrorism charges in Pennsylvania and New York. Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, gunned down Thompson, 50, outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4 as the executive was arriving for UnitedHealthcare's annual investor conference. Surveillance footage showed a masked man shooting Thompson from behind. Police said the phrases "delay," "deny," and "depose" were scribbled on the ammunition, echoing a frequent phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.
Arrest
He was apprehended on December 9
Mangione was apprehended on December 9 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, some 230 miles (370 kilometers) west of New York City, and flown to Manhattan by plane and helicopter. Police claimed Mangione carried a 9mm handgun similar to the one used in the shooting, as well as a notepad in which he allegedly voiced anger toward the health insurance sector and affluent executives. Mangione, who comes from a prominent Maryland real estate family, remains locked up at a federal prison in Brooklyn.