Luigi Nicholas Mangione has been charged in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The announcement was made by Edward Y. Kim, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, U.S. Attorney General; James E. Dennehy, FBI Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office; and Jessica S. Tisch, NYPD Commissioner.
Mangione is accused of killing Thompson on December 4, 2024, in Midtown Manhattan. He was taken into federal custody and will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.
Edward Y. Kim stated: "Brian Thompson was gunned down in cold blood as he walked down a street in midtown Manhattan... As alleged, Luigi Mangione traveled to New York to stalk and shoot Thompson... all in a grossly misguided attempt to broadcast Mangione’s views across the country."
Merrick B. Garland said: “Today, the Justice Department has brought federal murder charges against Luigi Mangione... I am grateful to our state and local law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts.”
James E. Dennehy commented: “Luigi Mangione allegedly conducted the carefully premeditated and targeted execution of Brian Thompson to incite national debates.”
Jessica S. Tisch added: "NYPD detectives worked relentlessly to identify and widely distribute images of the suspect... It is because of the public’s actions that we now have an alleged killer in custody back in New York City."
According to allegations, Mangione meticulously planned Thompson's murder over several months intending to spark public discussion about healthcare issues.
On December 9, 2024, he was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania after being recognized at a fast-food restaurant.
Mangione faces multiple charges including using a firearm to commit murder and interstate stalking resulting in death.
The case involves collaboration between various agencies including the FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force and is managed by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit with Assistant U.S Attorneys Dominic A Gentile, Jun Xiang, and Alexandra Messiter leading prosecution efforts.
The charges are accusations at this stage with Mangione presumed innocent until proven guilty.