Mangione charged with ‘act of terrorism’ in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing
Al Jazeera
A grand jury indicted Luigi Mangione, the man suspected of shooting Brian Thompson, on an additional ‘terrorism’ charge.
Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of fatally shooting United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York earlier this month, has been charged with murder “as an act of terrorism”.
A grand jury indicted Mangione with the additional murder charge on Tuesday, according to New York prosecutors who have already charged him with murder in the December 4 killing.
“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. “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,” he added.
Mangione’s defence lawyer in New York, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, did not immediately comment on the new charge.
Under New York law, a terrorism 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”.
