Luigi Mangione has been indicted on murder charges for an “act of terrorism” in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, New York prosecutors revealed on Tuesday.
The indictment was announced during an afternoon press conference, days before the suspect is set to appear in Pennsylvania court for a preliminary hearing on gun charges. He was arrested in the Commonwealth after a nearly week-long manhunt.
The 26-year-old is accused of fatally shooting the healthcare executive on the streets of Midtown Manhattan on the morning of December 4 and then eluding police for five days before he was arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.
The suspected shooter has retained high-profile attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo to defend him. Agnifilo previously worked at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, serving as the chief assistant district attorney for seven years, before moving to private practice in 2021.
Mangione’s supporters continue to donate thousands of dollars for his “defense” fund. The anonymous fund “December 4th Legal Committee” has amassed more than $140,000 in donations on the crowdfunding website GiveSendGo.
Key Points
- Manhattan prosecutors reveal murder and weapons charges
- NYPD chief condemns ‘vile, reckless and offensive’ support for suspect
- Luigi Mangione to return to court December 19
- Revealed: Suspect’s mom spoke to FBI one day before his arrest
NYPD chief blasts social media commentary surrounding Mangione
08:00 , Alex WoodwardNYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch condemned what she called a “celebration” on social media of Brian Thompson’s killing.
“In the nearly two weeks since Mr. Thompsons killing, we have seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder,” she said Tuesday.
She said NYPD discovered “ghoulishly plastered posters” threatening other CEOs.
“I just can’t wrap my head around someone celebrating this,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.
Everything we know about the killing of Brian Thompson
06:00 , Alex WoodwardBrian Thompson was in New York for UnitedHealth Group’s annual Investor Conference.
Then he was shot dead on the sidewalk.
Here’s what you need to know about the case:
Mangione’s prominent Baltimore relatives are ‘shocked and devastated’ by CEO shooting
05:00 , Alex WoodwardMangione family patriarch Nick Mangione was reportedly born to an illiterate father in Baltimore's Little Italy before the Second World War. He fought in the Pacific and made his fortune as a contractor and then a real estate developer in the baby boom years.
More on what we know about Luigi’s family, from The Independent’s Io Dodds:
Luigi Mangione’s family: Who are the relatives of CEO murder suspect
What was on Luigi Mangione’s alleged to-do list?
04:00 , Alex WoodwardLuigi Mangione allegedly laid out his plot to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a spiral notebook, including a chilling “to-do list” and plans considering using a bomb in the Manhattan attack.
James Liddell has more:
Luigi Mangione’s notebook reveals chilling alleged to do list and bomb plans
Who is Luigi Mangione’s defense attorney?
03:00 , Alex WoodwardLuigi Mangione has retained a top New York attorney for his legal defense in connection with the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
What we know:
Who is Karen Friedman Agnifilo? Top New York attorney Luigi Mangione retained
What’s next for Mangione?
02:00 , Alex WoodwardNew York Governor Kathy Hochul is expected to issue a warrant for Luigi Mangione’s extradition to New York after a grand jury indictment unveiled murder and weapons charges against the suspected killer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
He is due in court in Pennsylvani on Thursday.
Mangione was arraigned last Monday in Pennsylvania on felony counts of forgery and carrying a firearm without a license, as well as three misdemeanors: tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of crime and providing false identification to law enforcement.
On Tuesday, Manhattan prosecutors charged him with three murder counts and eight weapons charges.
He faces life improsonment without parole on the New York charges.
NYPD chief assails reports of deck of cards featuring other ‘most wanted’ CEOs
01:00 , Alex WoodwardIn a press conference announcing murder charges in New York against Luigi Mangione, NYPD chief Jessica Tisch held up a copy of The New York Post’s front page from Monday, which reported that a deck of cards with other “Most Wanted” CEOs to be targeted was being circulated.
“These are the threats of a lawless, violent mob who would trade in their own vigilantism for the rule of law that protects us all,” she said Tuesday.
“Let me say this plainly, there is no heroism in what Mangione did. It was a cold and calculated crime that stole a life and put New Yorkers at risk. We don’t celebrate murders, and we don’t idolize the killing of anyone,” Tisch added.
Who is Luigi Mangione? Everything we know
00:00 , Alex WoodwardA suspect charged with murder for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is in custody.
Here is everything we know so far about Luigi Mangione.
Who is Luigi Mangione? What to know about murder suspect in CEO shooting
4 in 10 young adults find Brian Thompson’s death ‘acceptable'
Tuesday 17 December 2024 23:30 , Alex WoodwardA new poll from Emerson College found that 41 percent of young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 found the killing of Brian Thompson acceptable, while 68 percent of people surveyed overall believe it is unacceptable.
Breaking down the younger demographic further, the poll found that 17 percent of young people surveyed found the suspect’s alleged actions “completely acceptable,” and 24 percent found it “somewhat acceptable.”
CEO shooting suspect indicted on murder charges in ‘act of terrorism’
The alleged UnitedHealthcare shooter suffered from chronic pain. It’s a problem plaguing more than a third of Americans
Tuesday 17 December 2024 23:00 , Julia MustoSpondylolisthesis is a condition caused by a vertebra slipping out of place and putting pressure on the bones below.
While it commonly occurs in older adults due to a type of arthritis, a common disease that causes joint inflammation and stiffness, it can also be brought on by trauma, spinal destabilization, bone disease, or a birth defect.
Luigi Mangione suffered from chronic pain. It’s plagues a third of Americans
Manhattan DA condemns condemns ‘brazen, targeted and premeditated shooting’ as ‘act of terrorism'
Tuesday 17 December 2024 22:30 , Alex WoodwardThe shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was a “brazen, targeted and premeditated shooting” that was a “frightening, well-planned, targeted murder” intended to cause “shock” and “intimidation,” according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
“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,” Bragg said during a news conference Tuesday.
Luigie Mangione was charged with 11 counts, including three murder charges.
Charges of murder in the first- and second-degree were characterized as acts of terrorism, with the ‘intent tointimidate 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, committed the specified offense.”
Mangione also faces eight counts of weapons charges, including possession of an unsanctioned 3D-printed ghost gun, a silencer, and illegal high-capacity magazines.
Praise for Mangione is ‘vile, reckless and offensive,’ NYPD chief says
Tuesday 17 December 2024 22:00 , Alex WoodwardNYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch laid into social media support for Mangione after an outporing of ironic celebration and criticism aimed at healthcare companies followed the shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“This was a senseless act of violence. It was a cold and calculated crime that stole a life and put New Yorkers at risk,” she said. “We don’t celebrate murders, and we don’t lionize the killing of anyone.”
She said any attempt to rationalize the shooting is “vile, reckless and offensive.
Read the New York grand jury’s indictment against Luigi Mangione
Tuesday 17 December 2024 21:10 , Alex WoodwardProsecutors are expected to argue for Luigi Mangione’s extradition to Manhattan on a slew of charges unveiled by a grand jury on Tuesday.
He is charged with 11 counts total, including several murder counts and eight counts related to criminal possession of a firearm.
NYPD chief blasts social media commentary surrounding Mangione
Tuesday 17 December 2024 21:05 , Alex WoodwardNYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch condemned what she called a “celebration” on social media of Brian Thompson’s killing.
“In the nearly two weeks since Mr. Thompsons killing, we have seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder,” she said.
She said NYPD discovered “ghoulishly plastered posters” threatening other CEOs.
“I just can’t wrap my head around someone is celebrating this,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.
New York murder charges accuse Mangione of ‘act of terorrism’
Tuesday 17 December 2024 20:54 , Alex WoodwardThe first-degree murder charge against Luigi Mangione accuses the suspected shooter of committing “an act of terrorism, involving a violent act and acts dangerous to human life” that was “intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policies of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion, and affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination or kidnapping.”
The shooting was “intended to cause shock” and “intimidation,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said during a press conference on Tuesday.
“The intent was so sow terror,” he said.
Bragg condemns ‘brazen, targeted and premeditated shooting’ intended to cause ‘intimidation'
Tuesday 17 December 2024 20:48 , Alex WoodwardThe shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was a “brazen, targeted and premeditated shooting” that was a “frightening, well-planned, targeted murder” intended to cause “shock” and “intimidation,” according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
“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,” Bragg said.
The full list of charges against Luigi Mangione in New York
Tuesday 17 December 2024 20:47 , Alex WoodwardA grand jury indictment in New York charges Luigi Mangione with the following:
- first-degree murder
- two counts of second-degree murder
- two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree
- four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree
- one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree
- one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree
Now: Manhattan DA announces charges against Luigi Mangione
Tuesday 17 December 2024 20:42 , Alex WoodwardMangione has been charged with first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder as an act of terrorism, and mulitple weapons counts, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
He could face life imprisonment without possibility of parole
Watch:
Suspect indicted on murder charge
Tuesday 17 December 2024 20:29 , Alex LangNew York Prosecutors have secured a murder indictment against Luigi Mangione, it was announced Tuesday.
According to the Associated Press, the charge is as an "act of terrorism." Mangione had already faced murder accusations, and the indictment is just a formal step in the process.
He remains in a Pennsylvania jail after being arrested there. He is fighting extradition to New York.
Everything we know about UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Tuesday 17 December 2024 17:31 , James LiddellBrian Thompson was laid to rest at a private funeral service in his Minnesota hometown on December 9.
That same day, Luigi Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania and charged with murder in connection to the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s death.
The 26-year-old suspect was taken into custody in Altoona and is now being held without bond in Pennsylvania as he faces charges in two states. Mangione appeared for a hearing on Tuesday in Pennsylvania, where he fought extradition to New York to face charges.
Katie Hawkinson, Madeline Sherratt and James Liddell have more.
Watch: Luigi Mangione's mugshot emblazoned on stickers and t-shirts after murder charge
Tuesday 17 December 2024 16:33 , James LiddellLuigi Mangione’s business-savvy Baltimore family
Tuesday 17 December 2024 15:35 , James LiddellFollowing Luigi Mangione’s arrest, his family released a statement saying they were “shocked.”
“Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione,” said the family in a statement posted on X by Luigi’s cousin Nino Mangione, a Republican member of the lower house of Maryland’s state legislature. “We only know what we have read in the media.”
Mangione’s family couldn’t merely afford medical care.
They could afford to donate more than $1 million of their own money to healthcare.
Io Dodds explores the wealthy family history of the man charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson:
Luigi Mangione’s family: Who are the relatives of CEO murder suspect
Mangione to face preliminary hearing on Thursday: report
Tuesday 17 December 2024 14:35 , James LiddellThe preliminary hearing for Luigi Mangione originally scheduled for 12/23/24 has now been moved forward to this Thursday. I'm in Altoona again and I'll be at that hearing. I'm also digging into some new leads in the meantime.
— Alex Caprariello (@alcaprari23) December 17, 2024
Who is Karen Friedman Agnifilo? Top New York attorney Luigi Mangione retained for legal defense
Tuesday 17 December 2024 14:00 , James LiddellLuigi Mangione has retained a top New York attorney for his legal defense in connection with the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The Independent understands that Karen Friedman Agnifilo has been officially retained to represent Mangione, 26, in New York, after the executive, 50, was gunned down outside the New York Hilton in Midtown Manhattan on 4 December.
Following a massive week-long manhunt, the shooting suspect was arrested after being seen eating a meal inside a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday morning, with an employee calling the tip into police.
Tara Cobham has the full story.
Who is Karen Friedman Agnifilo? Top New York attorney Luigi Mangione retained
Luigi Mangione documentary already in the works from Spotlight producers
Tuesday 17 December 2024 13:08 , James LiddellA documentary about Luigi Mangione, the alleged killer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is reportedly already in the works.
The film is being put together by Oscar-winning Taxi to the Dark Side director Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions and Anonymous Content, who were behind the Oscar-winning journalism drama Spotlight and the Leonardo DiCaprio-starring The Revenant (both 2015).
Variety reports that the documentary will go beyond a retelling of the high-profile December 4 murder in Manhattan to examine “how killers are created, what this killing says about our society and the values we place on who lives and who dies.”
Kevin E G Perry writes.
Luigi Mangione documentary already in the works from Spotlight producers
Almost $140k raised by public fundraiser to pay for Mangione’s legal bills
Tuesday 17 December 2024 12:00 , James LiddellA legal committee has raised almost $140,000 to pay for Luigi Mangione’s legal bills as he faces charges in both Pennsylvania and New York.
The December 4th Legal Committee launched the public appeal on Christian fundraising site GiveSendGo, which garnered the vast sum after the 26-year-old was changed in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Monday. The fundraiser has a goal of $200,000.
“We are dedicated to ensuring that he gets a fair trial with competent legal counsel,” said Carol Sherman, an organizer with the December 4th Legal Committee.
The group says that proceeds will go to “other political prisoners in the US” if Mangione’s charges are dropped, or he rejects the funds.
Backpack company faces backlash for identifying bag used by Thompson’s killer
Tuesday 17 December 2024 11:01 , James LiddellThe CEO of a backpack manufacturer is facing backlash following reports that he tipped authorities off to the bag used by the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Peak Design founder and boss Peter Dering told The New York Times on December 5 that he had contacted police as soon as he saw surveillance footage of the backpack worn by the masked killer and recognized it as one of his company’s.
“Of course, my instinct would be to do whatever is possible to help track this person down,” Dering said. He added that, if police asked for help, he would “check with his general counsel about what information he could release.”
James Liddell has the story.
Backpack company faces backlash for identifying UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter’s bag
Mangione allegedly suffered from chronic pain. It’s a problem plaguing more than one-third of Americans
Monday 16 December 2024 21:00 , Kelly RissmanLuigi Mangione, the alleged perpetrator in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, reportedly suffered from chronic back pain.
Posts on the content-sharing platform Reddit under the now-defunct username “Mister_Cactus” appeared to reference the 26-year-old’s extensive health problems. The user referred to “spondy,” which is commonly known as spondylolisthesis.
Spondylolisthesis is a condition caused by a vertebra slipping out of place and putting pressure on the bones below. While it commonly occurs in older adults due to a type of arthritis, a common disease that causes joint inflammation and stiffness, it can also be brought on by trauma, spinal destabilization, bone disease, or a birth defect.
Julia Musto has the full story.
Luigi Mangione suffered from chronic pain. It’s plagues a third of Americans
ICYMI: Luigi Mangione's mugshot emblazoned on stickers and t-shirts after murder charge
Monday 16 December 2024 19:30 , Kelly RissmanDonations for Luigi Mangione’s ‘defense fund’ surpass $100,000
Monday 16 December 2024 18:00 , Kelly RissmanLuigi Mangione supporters have donated tens of thousands of dollars to “defense funds” set up for him after he was arrested on suspicion of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The anonymous fund “December 4th Legal Committee” surpassed more than $100,000 in donations on the crowdfunding website GiveSendGo by Sunday morning.
The group’s name is an apparent reference to the day the 26-year-old allegedly gunned down the healthcare executive on a busy Manhattan street.
Read the full story.
Public donations for Luigi Mangione’s ‘defense fund’ surpass $100,000
Sen. Bernie Sanders says CEO murder came amid people’s anger ‘rising up’ over health insurance denials
Monday 16 December 2024 16:30 , Kelly RissmanBernie Sanders, the Vermont senator who has campaigned for a national healthcare system, has said the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s shooting underscores people’s frustration with the industry.
Sanders, an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats, made the remarks on Meet the Press on Sunday morning.
“What I think has happened in the last few months is that what you have seen rising up is people’s anger at a health insurance industry, which denies people the health care that they desperately need while they make billions and billions of dollars in profit,” the senator told the show’s host Kristen Welker in response to a question about whether now is the right time to be discussing health insurance policy.
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the murder, allegedly gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4 in New York City. He was arrested days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. At the time, police said they found a handwritten manifesto on him outlining his motive.
Read the full story.
Bernie Sanders says US is angry over health insurance denials
Luigi Mangione fans baffle SNL’s unhinged Nancy Grace
Monday 16 December 2024 16:00 , James LiddellSaturday Night Live jumped into the nation's morbid fascination with Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The cold open kicked off with Sarah Sherman’s incredulous true crime entertainer Nancy Grace, who complained that “women and gay guys alike” have made Mangione into a “sex symbol.”
She said Mangione looked like “Dave Franco with Eugene Levy's eyebrows.”
Graig Graziosi has the story.
McDonald’s worker may see a reward for calling in tip
Monday 16 December 2024 15:00 , James LiddellThe McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania who called in the tip that led to the arrest of Luigi Mangione is eligible for law enforcement’s $60,000 reward — but he may not collect it for a while.
The manhunt for the masked gunman suspected of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4 came to an end after six days when Larry, a McDonald’s employee, called 911, saying he recognized a customer nibbling on hashbrowns from the photos circulated by NYPD. Now, that worker is eligible to collect tens of thousands of dollars in reward money.
Mangione, 26, has been charged with second-degree murder in New York in connection to Thompson’s death. He also faces gun charges in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested.
The FBI was offering up to $50,000 and NYPD Crime Stoppers was offering $10,000 for information that led to an arrest or conviction.
“The individual in Pennsylvania, who called in a tip, is eligible to receive the reward,” the Police Foundation board said in a statement Wednesday.
Since most rewards require a conviction, Larry might have to wait until a trial completes, which could take a year or more, the Associated Press reported.
Read the full story.
McDonald’s worker is eligible for Mangione reward, but it’s going to take a minute
Anchor interviews inmates at Mangione’s jail
Monday 16 December 2024 14:00 , Michelle Del ReyA TV anchor managed to interview men at the alleged shooter’s jail as they watched her program from their cells.
Mangione is at a state correctional facility in Huntingdon. The prisoners there complained about their living conditions and meals by screaming yes or no to the anchor’s questions.
Watch the interaction here:
What has Mangione’s family said in the wake of his arrest?
Monday 16 December 2024 13:00 , James LiddellLuigi Mangione’s family couldn’t merely afford medical care. They could afford to donate more than $1 million of their own money to healthcare.
That’s according to a report Monday from The Baltimore Banner, which chronicles the wealthy family history of the man charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Following the news of Mangione’s arrest Monday, his family released a statement saying they were “shocked.”
Io Dodds has the full story.
Luigi Mangione’s family: Who are the relatives of CEO murder suspect
Who is Karen Friedman Agnifilo?
Monday 16 December 2024 12:00 , Michelle Del ReyLuigi Mangione has retained a top New York attorney for his legal defense in connection with the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The Independent understands that Karen Friedman Agnifilo has been officially retained to represent Mangione, 26, in New York, after the executive, 50, was gunned down outside the New York Hilton in Midtown Manhattan on 4 December.
Here, The Independent takes a look at what we know about Ms Agnifilo:
Who is Karen Friedman Agnifilo? Top New York attorney Luigi Mangione retained
Almost $125,000 raised by public to pay for Luigi Mangione’s legal bills
Monday 16 December 2024 11:00 , James LiddellA legal committee has raised $124,905 to pay for Luigi Mangione’s legal bills as he faces charges in both Pennsylvania and New York.
The December 4th Legal Committee launched the public appeal on Christian fundraising site GiveSendGo, which garnered the vast sum after the 26-year-old was changed in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Monday. The fundraiser has a goal of $200,000.
“We are dedicated to ensuring that he gets a fair trial with competent legal counsel,” said Carol Sherman, an organizer with the December 4th Legal Committee.
The group says that proceeds will go to “other political prisoners in the US” if Mangione’s charges are dropped, or he rejects the funds.
Other campaigns soliciting donations for Mangione’s defence have been taken down by sites, such as GoFundMe.
Brian Thompson understood that UnitedHealthcare had a PR problem
Monday 16 December 2024 10:00 , James LiddellThe slain UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, “understood” that the health insurance giant had a public relations problem, and recognized the average American’s frustrations with the firm’s image.
Thompson, who was gunned down in the street in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, believed that the public didn’t understand UnitedHealthcare’s role in the nation’s health system, colleagues told the Washington Post.
“He understood that the public was frustrated with what they perceived the company’s actions to be,” a co-worker said. “He was actively articulating a vision that helped better educate and help people better understand what the company is doing.”
Luigi Mangione’s mom spoke to FBI one day before son’s arrest
Monday 16 December 2024 09:00 , James LiddellLuigi Mangione’s mother reportedly spoke to FBI officials the day before he was arrested in Pennsylvania on suspicion of murdering the CEO of a health insurance giant after federal authorities received a tip.
According to the New York Post, a police officer in San Francisco recognized the suspect in surveillance photographs being circulated by New York City police. Mangione’s parents had filed a missing persons report with the San Francisco Police Department in November, after he reportedly went on a solo trip to Asia, apparently without telling them where he was.
The tip reportedly came in four days before the parents were contacted.
Michelle Del Rey has the story.
Luigi Mangione’s mother spoke to FBI day before son’s arrest
UnitedHealthcare didn’t insure Mangione
Monday 16 December 2024 08:00 , Michelle Del ReyLuigi Mangione was not insured by UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, told NBC News.
The update comes after police said that there was “no indication” that Mangione was registered with UnitedHealthcare, whose CEO was murdered on December 4 in Midtown Manhattan.
“We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth-largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest health care organization in America,” Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC New York. “So that’s possibly why he targeted that company,” Kenny said.
Investigators are still looking into a motive and have said that he suffered from debilitating back pain.
