Luigi Mangione indicted on first degree murder charge
The indictments also charge Mangione with the killing as act of terrorism.
New York State Supreme Court building in Manhattan.
Photo: P. Eoche/Getty Images
A grand jury in New York has indicted Luigi Mangione on charges of first degree murder, in furtherance of terrorism, in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said Mangione faces a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole.
Mangione, 26, is charged with the murder of 50-year-old Thompson outside of the Hilton Hotel in Midtown on Dec. 4, according to the indictment released Tuesday by Bragg, and New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch.
On Dec. 9, Mangione was charged with second degree murder after being apprehended in a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
"We allege that Luigi Mangione carried out the brazen, targeted and fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan. 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 by statement.
A New York State Supreme Court indictment charged Mangion with one count of Murder in the First Degree, in furtherance of terrorism; two counts of Murder in the Second Degree, one of which is charged as killing as an act of terrorism; 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; and one count of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree.
WHAT HAPPENED
According to court documents and statements made on the record, Mangione arrived at Port Authority on a bus on Nov. 24 and checked in at the HI New York City Hostel on the Upper West Side. He used a fake New Jersey ID under the name Mark Rosario and extended his stay at the hostel multiple times.
On Dec. 4, Mangione left the Hostel at 5:34 a.m. and traveled to Midtown using an e-bike.
Between 5:52 a.m. and 6:45 a.m., Mangione walked near and around the Hilton Hotel. At approximately 6:15 a.m. he purchased a water bottle and granola bars at the Starbucks at 1290 6th Avenue.
Between approximately 6:38 a.m. and 6:44 a.m., Mangione stood against a wall on the north side of West 54th Street across from the Hilton, fully masked with his hood up.
At 6:45 a.m., he crossed the street to the Hilton Hotel and, armed with a 9-millimeter 3D-printed ghost gun equipped with a silencer, approached Thompson from behind and shot him once in the back and once in the leg.
Mangione then fled northeast on 54th Street and took an e-bike uptown. He eventually got into a taxi and was dropped off at West 178th Street and Amsterdam Avenue and then fled the state.
Thompson was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m.
Two of the discharged shell casings had the words "DENY" and "DEPOSE" written on them, and the word "DELAY" was written on a bullet, all found at the scene, according to the indictment.
On Dec. 9, Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after being spotted at a local McDonald's. When he was arrested, police recovered a 9-millimeter handgun with a 3D-printed receiver, two ammunition magazines, multiple live cartridges, a homemade silencer and the fake New Jersey ID used at the hostel.
THE LARGER TREND
Thompson's murder spurred a five-day manhunt and backlash against UnitedHealthcare and other insurers over claim denials.
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty addressed the public's frustration and what he called the "vitriol" in an op-ed published Friday in The New York Times.
On Monday, a New York State Supreme Court returned indictments charging:
- Murder in the First Degree, a class A-I felony, one count
- Murder in the Second Degree, a class A-I felony, two counts
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class C felony, two counts
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a class D felony, four counts
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count
- Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony, one count
ON THE RECORD
Bragg said by statement: "I want to extend my heartfelt prayers to Mr. Thompson's loved ones as they continue to grieve. This ongoing investigation is the product of an incredible partnership at all levels with the NYPD, and I want to thank Commissioner Tisch and the prosecutors and detectives who worked collaboratively to apprehend Mr. Mangione. He is now charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with three counts of murder and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole."
Tisch said: "We have taken a significant step toward achieving justice for Brian Thompson and his family. I applaud our dedicated NYPD investigators for their relentless work in identifying the suspect and their unwavering commitment to seeing this crucial case through to its resolution. And I express my gratitude to the attorneys at the Manhattan district attorney's office for their collaboration in bringing this case forward. Additionally, I extend my thanks to everyone who saw something, said something, and did something. This highlights the critical role of the public in the NYPD's public safety mission, and it is because of this that we have a murder suspect in custody today."
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org
