New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg has unsealed charges against Luigi Mangione, who is now formally accused in the murder of Brian Thompson, the then-CEO of UnitedHealth, who was shot in the early hours of December 4th in Midtown Manhattan. Bragg outlined three charges for the “brazen, targeted, and premeditated shooting” against the 26-year-old Mangione: one count of murder in the first degree and two counts of murder in the second degree, including one count of murder in the second degree as an act of terrorism.
Mangione is also facing charges related to criminal possession of weapons, and criminal possession of a forged instrument, as he is alleged to have carried out the murder with a 3D-printed “ghost gun,” which was in his possession when he was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania last week. Since his arrest, Mangione’s alleged manifesto outlining the motive for the murder has also been made public, which characterizes healthcare executives as parasites that “had it coming” due to the prohibitively high cost of care. The United States is the only developed country that does not offer a national healthcare program to all its people, and medical debt remains the most common cause for bankruptcy even after reforms during President Obama’s tenure.
Bragg emphasized the terroristic threat posed by Mangione as he outlined the charges, stating that “this was a frightening, well planned targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation.” Other officials pushed back on the outpouring of support that has emerged for him in the weeks since Thompson’s murder, with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch calling it a “shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder.” She went on to say that “any attempt to rationalize this is vile, reckless, and offensive to our deeply held principles of justice.”
Bragg explained that Mangione will be in court Thursday morning in Pennsylvania for the charges he faces there, with an extradition hearing to follow, which the defendant might waive and be brought directly to New York. One reporter asked the DA if there was any concern about selecting a jury for this case given the support that Mangione has received since his arrest. “I have faith in our jury system to select twelve people who can be fair and impartial,” Bragg said. “We’ll be ready when that time comes.”
