Luigi Mangione, the alleged murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, reportedly received indictment on federal charges. The update in the criminal case comes days after authorities arrested him in connection with the CEO’s fatal shooting. The tragic incident occurred in Manhattan on Wednesday, December 4, and prosecutors are out for blood.
According to new reports, prosecutors in the Southern District of New York slammed Mangione with a federal criminal case. The additional charges come after indicting the suspect on three state murder charges and other serious crimes. The Manhattan DA’s Office’s prosecutors went for the murder charge, including two they consider acts of terrorism.
As for the new federal counts against Mangione, the crimes he is being charged with have not been unveiled. However, once the indictment comes to light, prosecutors in the Southern District of New York would push for maximum punishment. They could reportedly pursue the death penalty, which was abolished in New York state in 2007.
The federal indictment did not sit well with Mangione’s attorney, who argued that prosecutors were leading a witch hunt. Karen Friedman Agnifilo stresses their readiness to “fight these charges in whatever court.” Despite the legal rep’s declaration, they could not help but lament the harsh treatment towards Mangione, per TMZ, noting:
“The federal government’s reported decision to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns.”
Critics Approve Luigi Mangione’s Indictment on Federal Charges
Mangione’s additional charges sparked reactions from critics, who celebrated the prosecutors’ decision on X. These social media users disapproved of the “vigilante” image some had given the suspect and called for punishment. Someone stressed the importance of viewing the incident as murder and not an act of heroism, writing:
“Fate catches up with everybody…and cuts them down with a rusty knife. He’s no hero, Robin Hood, or icon. He’s simply a murderer who targeted a random person because he himself couldn’t handle life.”
Another critic echoed similar sentiments, describing Mangione as a “privileged, narcissistic little f-ck.” The X user alleged that he murdered someone because he was “dealing with chronic pain from a surfing accident.” A third pushed for a “Supermax prison,” while a fourth asked for the “death penalty.” The cries for Mangione’s punishment come days after his arrest on December 9 at a McDonald’s in Altoona, PA.
We covered that authorities took the suspected murderer into custody following a look-alike contest in Washington Square Park. Various people who believed they bore a striking resemblance to Mangione strutted their stuff without fear of consequences. One of these look-alikes even proudly declared, “I am the guy. I just got back from Atlanta.”
At the time of the look-alike contest, there was no information about Mangione. All the police had to work with was a low-resolution photo, which they shared publicly. However, the image sparked positive fan reactions, with many thirsting over the suspected killer and labeling him an avenger.
Luigi Mangione will appear for a hearing in a Pennsylvania courtroom on Thursday, December 19. He is expected to waive extradition to New York to face state charges for the CEO’s murder.
