Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of fatally capturing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York earlier this month, has been charged with homicide “as an act of terrorism”.
A grand jury indicted Mangione with the extra homicide cost on Tuesday, in response to New York prosecutors who’ve already accused him of a lesser second-degree homicide cost within the December 4 killing.
“This was a daunting, well-planned, focused homicide that was supposed to trigger shock and a focus and intimidation,” Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg stated at a information convention. “It occurred in some of the bustling elements of our metropolis, threatened the protection of native residents and vacationers alike, commuters and businesspeople simply beginning out on their day,” he added.
Mangione’s defence lawyer in New York, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, didn’t instantly touch upon the brand new cost.
Beneath New York regulation, a terrorism cost could be introduced when an alleged crime is “supposed to intimidate or coerce a civilian inhabitants, affect the insurance policies of a unit of presidency by intimidation or coercion and have an effect on the conduct of a unit of presidency by homicide, assassination or kidnapping”.
Thompson, 50, was shot useless as he walked to a Manhattan lodge the place UnitedHealthcare, one of many largest medical insurance firms in the US, was holding an investor convention.
Arrested on a tip
After a prolonged manhunt, Mangione was arrested on December 9 in Pennsylvania following a tip from a McDonald’s worker.
Authorities have stated a 3D-printed gun, a suppressor and several other pretend IDs, together with one believed for use by the attacker to verify right into a hostel in New York earlier than the capturing, had been recovered when Mangione was arrested.
Earlier than coming into court docket final week in shackles, Mangione gave a partly unintelligible message to reporters during which he may very well be heard referring to an “insult to the intelligence of the American individuals”.
On the transient listening to, his defence lawyer, Thomas Dickey, informed the court docket that Mangione would contest extradition to New York, requesting a listening to on the problem. He stays in custody in Pennsylvania with out bail.
Whereas in court docket, Mangione wore an orange jail jumpsuit, alternating between staring ahead, taking a look at papers and looking out again on the gallery. He was quieted at one level by his lawyer when he tried to talk.
The brazen nature of the killing and the obvious motive garnered nationwide intrigue. Even whereas condemning the violence, many consultants, docs and US residents stated it was emblematic of the undercurrent of anger within the nation in direction of the healthcare business, the place excessive prices go away many sufferers susceptible to the desire of insurers.
Bullet casings discovered on the scene of the killing bore the phrases “deny”, “defend” and “depose”, showing to reference a phrase utilized by critics to explain how well being insurers keep away from declare payouts. The gunman fled through electrical bike to Central Park, and later boarded a bus out of town.
“Parasitic”
Within the days because the assault, many have taken to social media to share accounts of insurance coverage firms denying claims.
The regulation enforcement memo, which was primarily based on Mangione’s writings, a few of which had been recovered on the time of his arrest, stated that Mangione was probably motivated by what he described as “parasitic” medical insurance firms and an total disdain for company greed.
In accordance with the memo, Mangione had written that the US has the costliest healthcare system on the planet and that earnings of main companies proceed to rise whereas “our life expectancy” doesn’t.
Thompson, who grew up on a farm in small-town Iowa, was skilled as an accountant. A married father of two high-schoolers, he had labored on the big UnitedHealth Group for 20 years and have become CEO of its insurance coverage arm in 2021.
Mangione comes from an influential household in Baltimore, Maryland, and was the valedictorian at an elite Baltimore prep college. He went on to earn undergraduate and graduate levels in laptop science in 2020 from the College of Pennsylvania, a prestigious Ivy League college.
Often called affable and clever, some buddies have stated in interviews with US media that Mangione’s manner modified after latest surgical procedure on his backbone.
“Our household is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s household stated in an announcement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Delaware state legislator Nino Mangione.
“We provide our prayers to the household of Brian Thompson, and we ask individuals to hope for all concerned.”
