DA Bragg: CEO killing was meant to ‘sow terror’
Luigi Mangione has been indicted for murder as an act of terrorism in the ambush killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg described the attack as “cold and calculated,” with the intent to “sow terror.” FOX 5’s Linda Schmidt has the story.
NEW YORK – Alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione has been indicted in New York City and faces a slew of charges, including first-degree murder and murder as an act of terrorism, the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg announced Tuesday.
Luigi Mangione already was charged with murder in the Dec. 4 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but the murder as an act of terrorism charge is new.
Under New York law, such a charge can be brought when an alleged crime is “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 Associated Press reports.
Mangione Manhunt: From Midtown to Altoona
1 CEO gunned down. 3 messages on bullets. 5 days to find the alleged killer. This FOX 5 documentary explores the ambush of Brian Thompson and the capture of his alleged killer, Luigi Mangione.
“This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said at a news conference Tuesday. “It occurred in one of the most bustling parts of our city, threatened the safety of local residents and tourists alike, commuters and businesspeople just starting out on their day.”
Thompson was stalked, shot and killed in front of a Midtown Manhattan hotel, and shell casings found on the scene were etched with the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose” – reflecting criticism of the health care industry,
Mangione was found five days later in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles west of New York City.
He will be represented by Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who was a high-ranking deputy in the Manhattan district attorney’s office for years before entering private practice. His defense has not commented on the latest indictment. Police say Mangione was found with a gun, mask and writings linking him to the ambush.
Read the indictment here
Charges in the indictment
- 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, as 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
The Source: This article uses reporting from the Manhattan DA’s indictment and reporting from previous coverage, including the Associated Press.
