Luigi Mangione Indicted on Terrorism, Upgraded Murder Charges in New York
Mangione is accused of killing Brian Thompson on Dec. 4.
Altoona Police Department via Getty
A New York grand jury has indicted Luigi Mangione on terrorism charges related to the Dec. 4 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The grand jury voted to indict Mangione on second-degree murder charges as a "crime of terrorism," indicating the accused killer had intended to "intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion, and affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination or kidnapping,"
Mangione is also charged with first-degree murder, which in New York is reserved for specific acts like the murder of police officers, murder-for-hire, killing a witness, or acts of terrorism. He also faces charges for possessing weapons and forged instruments.
Related: Ivy League Grad Luigi Mangione Charged with Murdering Health Care CEO Brian Thompson in N.Y.C.
“We allege that Luigi Mangione carried out the brazen, targeted and fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan," said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in a statement issued on Dec. 17. "This type of premeditated, targeted gun violence cannot and will not be tolerated, and my office has been working day in and day out to bring the defendant to justice."
The Ivy League-educated scion of a prominent Maryland family is the prime suspect in the killing of Thompson, who was gunned down on Dec. 4 in Midtown Manhattan by a masked assailant who then fled the scene on a bicycle, evading authorities.
Five days later, Mangione was arrested at an Altoona, Pa., McDonald's after a customer recognized the suspected killer from images put out by New York police. Police found a 9 mm ghost gun and several fake IDs on his person.
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A motive has not been definitively established, but police believe Mangione harbored an animus towards corporate America, particularly the healthcare industry.
The words "deny" and "depose" were found on shell casings at the scene, while "delay" was found on a bullet, per Bragg's office — similar to a phrase used to describe the health insurance industry's practices for scuttling claims.
Besides the gun and IDs, police also found a manifesto in his possession in which he said the health insurance industry were "parasites" who "had it coming."
Meanwhile, on Reddit, an account belonging to Mangione opened up about struggles with chronic back pain, irritable bowel syndrome and other health issues. He reported getting spinal surgery in 2023.
Mangione had cut off contact with family and friends for six months prior to the killing, and his mother filed a missing person report with the San Francisco Police Department in November.
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