The 26-year-old accused of the fatal shooting of US insurance boss Brian Thompson was transferred to New York on Thursday. There he now also had to face allegations from the federal judiciary.
Luigi Mangione after his arrival in New York City.Image: Keystone
After a court appearance in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, Luigi Mangione was taken to the airport in a black SUV, where the 26-year-old, dressed in an orange prison uniform, boarded a plane to New York. From the airport there we went to Manhattan by helicopter, as TV stations reported.
Mangione was charged with murder and a “terrorist act” on Tuesday at the New York state level. The prosecution is convinced that he shot the head of the health insurance company UnitedHealthcare, Thompson, in Manhattan on December 4th. Five days later he was arrested in Pennsylvania.
He was now brought before a federal court in New York. Mangione, who initially resisted transfer from Pennsylvania to New York, wore shackles when he appeared before federal Judge Katherine Parker in Manhattan. According to the court, Parker read him the charges against him in the indictment, including murder, stalking and gun violations. If convicted, the 26-year-old faces the death penalty or life in prison, according to the US Department of Justice.
Legal team does not apply for release
Mangione's attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said she wanted clarity on how a concurrent federal and state prosecution would work, according to CNN. She therefore described the situation as “highly unusual”. As CNN further reported, Mangione's legal team will not initially apply for bail.
This is what you need to know about the New York CEO murder and Luigi Mangione
Video: Watson/Sabeth Vela, Lucas Zollinger
Mangione's supporters gathered outside the courthouse in Manhattan. They held up signs with slogans like “Luigi freed us” and “Health before wealth.”
Hatred of US healthcare
Thompson's murder caused shock in the United States, but also led to a series of hateful comments online about US health insurers. The corporations were accused of enriching themselves at the expense of patients. Investigators found evidence that Mangione may have acted out of hatred for the U.S. health care system.
James Dennehy of the FBI's New York office emphasized that Mangione's alleged actions amounted to a “carefully planned and targeted execution.” Mangione considers “murder to be an appropriate means of satisfying personal insults.”
According to the federal indictment released Thursday, a notebook found at Mangione's home contained an entry from August that said: “The goal is insurance” because “it meets all the criteria.” (DAB/SDA/AFP)
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