Luigi Mangione was indicted on first-degree murder and other charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson this month, the Manhattan district attorney’s office announced Tuesday.
The first-degree murder charge in furtherance of terrorism increases the case against Mangione, 26, in the Dec. 4 killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel.
The New York State Supreme Court indictment also charges Mangione with two counts of first-degree murder, one of which is charged with murder resulting from a terrorist act; two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon; four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree; one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree; and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
Bragg called Thompson’s killing a “brazen, targeted and premeditated shooting” at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
“This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted killing designed to cause shock, attention and intimidation,” he said. “It took place in one of the most vibrant parts of our city and threatened the safety of locals and tourists alike. , commuters and business people just starting their day.”
Bragg added that terrorism charges were justified because the killing was “intended to incite terror.”
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during Tuesday’s press conference that the release of the charges brings the case closer to securing justice for Thompson and his family.
Tisch denounced some of the reactions the fatal shooting had provoked, with some praising Mangione as a hero rather than a killer.
“This was a senseless act of violence. “It was a cold and calculated crime that stole a life and endangered New Yorkers,” she said. “We don’t celebrate killings, and we don’t make killing anyone a great honor.”
Tisch added that any attempt to rationalize the killing is “despicable, reckless and insulting” to the principles of justice.
A spokesperson for UnitedHealth Group said the indictment was “an important step forward in seeking justice in the murder of our colleague Brian Thompson.”
“We will work with law enforcement authorities to help Brian’s family, friends and colleagues find closure,” the spokesperson said.
Charges began piling up against Mangione following his arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9, after he was recognized following a massive manhunt.
He has been indicted and is being held in Pennsylvania on charges of forgery and carrying a firearm without a license, as well as misdemeanor charges related to the alleged use of fraudulent identification, and he has been fighting extradition.
A spokesperson for New York Governor Kathy Hochul told NBC News that she would file an extradition warrant and paperwork as soon as charges are filed against Mangione.
A source familiar with the situation told NBC News that Mangione plans to waive extradition during a hearing Thursday. Bragg said at Tuesday’s news conference that his office has received indications that this is the case, meaning Mangione will be “immediately brought to New York.”
Mangione’s attorney in Pennsylvania, Thomas Dickey, said he would plead not guilty in the New York and Pennsylvania cases. Karen Friedman Agnifilo has been retained to represent Mangione in the lawsuit against New York. She declined to comment Tuesday afternoon.
When Mangione was arrested, police found a gun, a fake ID, a notebook and a handwritten document, officials said.
The document criticized the broader U.S. health care industry, major corporations and UnitedHealthcare in particular, three senior law enforcement officials said. The scriptures also say in part: “To be honest, these parasites were already expecting it,” the officials said.
Thompson’s murder and the allegations against Mangione have fueled debate and anger over the health insurance industry and healthcare system in the US.
Before the shooting, Mangione had been missing for months. In mid-November, his family reported him missing to San Francisco police, according to a missing persons flyer in which his mother said she last spoke to her son on July 1.
He spent time in Hawaii in 2022 but aggravated long-standing back problems while surfing, say those who knew him there.
Neither Mangione nor his parents were insured by UnitedHealthcare, UnitedHealth Group said. Police say the company may have been targeted because of its size.
Mangione is being held at Huntingdon State Correctional Institution in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, prison officials say.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
