Federal prosecutors announced Thursday their intent to seek the death penalty against 26 year old Luigi Mangione, who stands accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel last December.
The filing comes just one day ahead of Mangione’s arraignment hearing, scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday in federal court.
Mangione is charged with the fatal shooting of Thompson on December 4, 2024, as the healthcare executive was en route to an investors conference. He has been indicted on multiple charges, including two counts of stalking, unlawful use of a firearm, and murder committed with a firearm.
In a formal court filing, prosecutors argued the killing was a premeditated act of ideological violence. The document states that Mangione allegedly targeted Thompson “to amplify an ideological message, maximize the visibility and impact of the victim’s murder, and to provoke broad-based resistance to the victim’s industry.”
Prosecutors further claimed that Mangione represents a continued threat to public safety, noting that he allegedly expressed an intent to strike against the healthcare industry as a whole. According to the filing, he fled New York immediately after the shooting, crossing state lines with a homemade firearm and a silencer in his possession.
Earlier this month, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that she had directed federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty in the case, citing President Trump’s executive order mandating capital punishment in eligible violent crime cases. “This is about restoring law and order and making America safe again,” Bondi said at the time.
Mangione’s defense attorneys have condemned the move, describing it as politically motivated. In a previous filing, they wrote, “The U.S. government intends to kill Mr. Mangione as a political stunt, not for justice.”
Brian Thompson, a prominent figure in the American healthcare industry, was survived by his wife and two children. His death sent shockwaves through Wall Street and raised concerns about rising threats toward public figures in controversial sectors.
The case, now carrying the weight of a capital prosecution, is expected to be closely watched nationwide.
