April 17, 2025 – New York, NY
Luigi Mangione, 26, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on four charges related to the December 2024 assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The charges include two counts of stalking—one involving interstate travel and another involving the use of interstate facilities—murder through the use of a firearm, and a separate firearms offense. These charges render Mangione eligible for the federal death penalty if convicted.
The indictment follows the fatal shooting of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel during UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference. Authorities allege that Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland family, stalked Thompson before ambushing him with an AR-style rifle. Evidence includes surveillance footage and bullets inscribed with phrases like “delay,” “deny,” and “depose,” referencing insurance claim denial practices.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty, marking the first federal capital case under the current administration. Bondi described the murder as a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination.”
Mangione’s defense team has filed a motion to block the death penalty pursuit, arguing that the decision is politically motivated and violates established protocols. They cite Bondi’s public remarks and social media posts as prejudicial.
Mangione is currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and is scheduled to appear in federal court on April 18. His case has garnered significant public attention, with some viewing him as a symbol of protest against the healthcare industry. A defense fund has raised over $900,000, and supporters have rallied around his cause.
This case continues to unfold, drawing national attention to issues surrounding healthcare practices and the use of capital punishment in federal cases.