First and foremost, I wanna extend my deepest condolences to Mr Thompson’s loved ones and colleagues. Uh His family deserves our respect as they continue to grieve. Our work will never be able to undo the fact that *** life was lost. We are here to announce that Luigi Mangione, the defendant is charged with one count of murder in the first degree and two counts of murder in the second degree including one count of murder in the second degree as an act of terrorism for the brazen, targeted and premeditated shooting of Brian Thompson, who as you know was the CEO of United Health Care. This case was made possible by the collaborative efforts of the phenomenal public servants. Uh You see before you today and so many others who are not here. Um I’m honored to lead the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and privilege to serve alongside assistant district attorneys, Joel Seidman, Kristen Bailey and Zachary Kaplan, who were working from the outset hand in hand with the greatest police department uh in the world. Uh The chief of our trial division, Lisa Del Piso and the deputy chief Chris Prevot uh provided sage oversight and direction and I want to acknowledge our high technology analyst and analysis unit. Uh There was *** lot to be processed here, Steve Moran in particular, who heads that. And Marco Pape, uh we are privileged here at the das office to work every day uh with the phenomenal public servants at the NYPD. Uh It’s been *** distinct pleasure to work besides Commissioner Tis, an exemplary partner, uh and chief of detectives, Joseph Kenny almost every day. We’re in touch. Uh, and his leadership is second to none. And then Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Weiner, uh, who, as I tell her, um, there are *** lot of challenging things happening in the world and I sleep better at night knowing that she is the deputy commissioner in charge of terrorism. Uh, the detectives on this, uh, out doing the courageous front line work. Um, Detective Oscar Diaz, Detective Curcio, uh, exemplary, exemplary, the finest. It wasn’t just those of us here in New York. I want to acknowledge the great work of our partners. Uh, in Altoona, the Altoona Police Department, the Blair County District Attorney’s Office, um, the Governors of New York and Pennsylvania, uh, the FBI and of course, uh, the brave members of the public, uh, who answered the call, uh, when our great commissioner put out the call for their assistance. This was *** frightening, well planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation. It occurred in one of the most bustling parts of our city, threatening the safety of local residents and tourists alike, commuters and business people just starting out on their day. Let me say *** bit more about the charges. They include one count of murder in the first degree as *** killing and further of terrorism. Two counts of murder in the second degree, one charging of the killing was done as an act of terrorism. And the second pertaining to the fact that the killing was intentional, the maximum penalty possible for murder in the first degree and murder in the second degree is an act of terrorism is life without parole. The maximum penalty for murder in the second degree is 25 years to life. Uh There are additional counts as well. Uh *** num number of criminal possession of weapon charges, two counts in the second degree, four counts in the third degree, one count in the fourth degree, uh, and *** count of criminal possession of *** forge instrument in the second degree. Let me tell you *** bit about the facts on November 24th. We allege that the defendant arrived in New York City to murder Brian Thompson. After the defendant arrived in New York City on *** bus at Port Authority. He checked into the hostel on the Upper West side using the name Mark Rosario with *** fake New Jersey ID on the morning of December 4th, the defendant left the hospital hostile, excuse me. Just after 5:30 a.m. and traveled to midtown for nearly an hour. We allege the defendant waited in the area near the Hilton Hotel waiting for Mr Thompson to appear from 6:38 a.m. to 6:44 a.m. The defendant stood across from the entrance of the hotel on West 54th street. When he saw Mr Thompson, he crossed the street and approached him from behind. We allege he then took out *** nine millimeter 3d printed ghost gun equipped with *** 3d printed suppressor and shot him once in the back and once in the leg, the defendant then fled northeast on 54th street and took an E bike uptown before getting into *** taxi that took him to West 178th street and Amsterdam Avenue on December 9th. The defendant was spotted at mcdonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The local police were notified he was arrested and he was found with *** nine millimeter handgun, *** suppressor, two ammunition magazines and the same fake New Jersey ID he used at the hostel. I want to say *** word about uh ghost guns. Uh These weapons are increasingly proliferating throughout New York City and the entire country involving technology will only make this problem worse. Uh Last year, over 80 ghost guns and ghost gun parts were recovered in Manhattan alone. Uh The NYPD uh and the Manhattan das office have been leading uh in the introduction of these ghost guns. Uh and one thing I want to make clear they are un serialized, they can be printed out. But as this case tragically makes clear they are just as deadly as traditional firearms. This will remain *** priority for us here in Manhattan. Uh Finally, I know there have been questions about the extradition process. Uh The latest uh that I can offer you is that the defendant is currently scheduled to appear in court in Pennsylvania on Thursday morning, first for *** preliminary hearing on his Pennsylvania charges immediately to follow. That will be uh an extradition hearing. We have indications that the defendant may waive that hearing in which case he brought to New York forthwith. In any event, we have been preparing on parallel paths. And before the hearing will send to the governor of the State of New York, the paperwork would be necessary if he does not during that, that hearing.
New York prosecutors say Luigi Mangione intended to ‘evoke terror’ in killing of health care CEO
The indictment of UnitedHealthCare CEO shooting suspect Luigi Mangione for murder as an act of terrorism involved multiple factors, prosecutors say, including a “frightening, well-planned, targeted” killing, as well as an outpouring of praise for the suspect and the tangible fear reported by executives since the shooting – but some legal experts caution the charge may be an overreach.An unsealed, 11-count indictment on Tuesday charged Mangione, 26, with one count of murder in the first degree and two of murder in the second degree in the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, along with other weapon and forgery charges.At a news conference on Tuesday announcing the charges, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and other top law enforcement officials said Mangione intended to intimidate and “evoke terror” with the killing.Bragg emphasized the brazen shooting took place “in one of the most bustling parts of our city, threatening the safety of local residents and tourists alike, and commuters and businesspeople just starting out on their day.”Mangione, a former high school valedictorian and Ivy League graduate born into a well-to-do family, killed Thompson “in furtherance of an act of terrorism,” the indictment says. His actions, the prosecutors added, involved “a violent act and acts dangerous to human life” and “were 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.”The next steps in his legal process will be ruled on by a judge in Pennsylvania on Thursday at his next extradition hearing.Mangione faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted, Bragg’s office said.In the weeks since Thompson’s killing, officials have seen a “shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Tuesday at the same news conference. “Social media has erupted with praise for this cowardly attack.”“It was a cold and calculated crime that stole a life and put New Yorkers at risk,” Tisch continued. “We don’t celebrate murders, and we don’t lionize the killing of anyone, and any attempt to rationalize this is vile, reckless and offensive to our deeply held principles of justice.”A charge of murder in the first degree is rare because it requires special elements related to the crime to be charged.Under New York law, murder in the first degree only applies to a narrow list of aggravating circumstances, including when the victim is a judge, a police officer or a first responder, or when the killing involves a murder-for-hire or an intent to commit terrorism, CNN has reported.Terrorism statute ‘borne out’ in threats, fear among CEOs, officials sayRebecca Weiner, deputy commissioner of the NYPD’s Intelligence & Counterterrorism unit, said at the briefing the intent to intimidate or coerce a civilian population under New York’s terrorism statute is “very much borne out” in the reaction across corporations and “torrent of online threats.”“We’ve had real world activity that the police commissioner flagged, which is abhorrent, and it causes concern,” Weiner said, adding the NYPD is working with its corporate security partners to ensure they are informed of best practices of flagging concerns.“Not just general ambient concerns, but specific threats they might be receiving, that, a few weeks ago they might have written off as just noise in the online environment that they now take seriously,” Weiner continued.The killing of Thompson, a husband and father of two, has laid bare many Americans’ fury toward the health care industry and struck fear in executive suites across the country.An NYPD intelligence report previously obtained by CNN said investigators believed Mangione appeared to be driven by anger against the health insurance industry and “corporate greed.”That intel report warned online rhetoric could “signal an elevated threat facing executives in the near-term.”“This was a killing that was intended to evoke terror and we’ve seen that reaction. This was not an ordinary killing,” Bragg said. “Not to suggest that any killing is ordinary, but this was extraordinary.”Some legal experts believe terrorism charge is an overreachThe NYPD intel report prompted fear in corporations as business leaders faced an elevated near-term threat and were advised to delete their digital footprints, CNN previously reported.After Thompson’s killing, security firms were inundated with calls from concerned corporations, according to the CNN report, asking to help keep their business leaders safe.“Let me say this plainly, there is no heroism in what Mangione did,” said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “This was a senseless act of violence.”However, some legal experts contend prosecutors in New York overreached by charging Mangione with terrorism in the indictment.One criminal defense attorney, Stacy Schneider, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday prosecutors might face more challenges proving that argument in court.“This victim was shot in the back of the head, not the front of the head, on a quiet sidewalk, early in the morning, in the dark. It doesn’t appear from a defense attorney’s perspective that this was intended to be a terroristic type of murder,” Schneider said.Mangione’s defense team, according to Schneider, could move to dismiss the top count of murder against him, arguing the reactions following the killing were “unintended consequences.”“The murder happened first, the outcry was second and totally unpredictable,” Schneider said. “So, I think this might be a case of overreaching on murder one.”CNN’s Laura Dolan, John Miller, Shimon Prokupecz, Kara Scannell, Matt Egan and Lauren del Valle contributed to this report.
The indictment of UnitedHealthCare CEO shooting suspect Luigi Mangione for murder as an act of terrorism involved multiple factors, prosecutors say, including a “frightening, well-planned, targeted” killing, as well as an outpouring of praise for the suspect and the tangible fear reported by executives since the shooting – but some legal experts caution the charge may be an overreach.
An unsealed, 11-count indictment on Tuesday charged Mangione, 26, with one count of murder in the first degree and two of murder in the second degree in the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, along with other weapon and forgery charges.
At a news conference on Tuesday announcing the charges, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and other top law enforcement officials said Mangione intended to intimidate and “evoke terror” with the killing.
Bragg emphasized the brazen shooting took place “in one of the most bustling parts of our city, threatening the safety of local residents and tourists alike, and commuters and businesspeople just starting out on their day.”
Mangione, a former high school valedictorian and Ivy League graduate born into a well-to-do family, killed Thompson “in furtherance of an act of terrorism,” the indictment says. His actions, the prosecutors added, involved “a violent act and acts dangerous to human life” and “were 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.”
The next steps in his legal process will be ruled on by a judge in Pennsylvania on Thursday at his next extradition hearing.
Mangione faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted, Bragg’s office said.
In the weeks since Thompson’s killing, officials have seen a “shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Tuesday at the same news conference. “Social media has erupted with praise for this cowardly attack.”
“It was a cold and calculated crime that stole a life and put New Yorkers at risk,” Tisch continued. “We don’t celebrate murders, and we don’t lionize the killing of anyone, and any attempt to rationalize this is vile, reckless and offensive to our deeply held principles of justice.”
A charge of murder in the first degree is rare because it requires special elements related to the crime to be charged.
Under New York law, murder in the first degree only applies to a narrow list of aggravating circumstances, including when the victim is a judge, a police officer or a first responder, or when the killing involves a murder-for-hire or an intent to commit terrorism, CNN has reported.
Terrorism statute ‘borne out’ in threats, fear among CEOs, officials say
Rebecca Weiner, deputy commissioner of the NYPD’s Intelligence & Counterterrorism unit, said at the briefing the intent to intimidate or coerce a civilian population under New York’s terrorism statute is “very much borne out” in the reaction across corporations and “torrent of online threats.”
“We’ve had real world activity that the police commissioner flagged, which is abhorrent, and it causes concern,” Weiner said, adding the NYPD is working with its corporate security partners to ensure they are informed of best practices of flagging concerns.
“Not just general ambient concerns, but specific threats they might be receiving, that, a few weeks ago they might have written off as just noise in the online environment that they now take seriously,” Weiner continued.
The killing of Thompson, a husband and father of two, has laid bare many Americans’ fury toward the health care industry and struck fear in executive suites across the country.
An NYPD intelligence report previously obtained by CNN said investigators believed Mangione appeared to be driven by anger against the health insurance industry and “corporate greed.”
That intel report warned online rhetoric could “signal an elevated threat facing executives in the near-term.”
“This was a killing that was intended to evoke terror and we’ve seen that reaction. This was not an ordinary killing,” Bragg said. “Not to suggest that any killing is ordinary, but this was extraordinary.”
Some legal experts believe terrorism charge is an overreach
The NYPD intel report prompted fear in corporations as business leaders faced an elevated near-term threat and were advised to delete their digital footprints, CNN previously reported.
After Thompson’s killing, security firms were inundated with calls from concerned corporations, according to the CNN report, asking to help keep their business leaders safe.
“Let me say this plainly, there is no heroism in what Mangione did,” said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “This was a senseless act of violence.”
However, some legal experts contend prosecutors in New York overreached by charging Mangione with terrorism in the indictment.
One criminal defense attorney, Stacy Schneider, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday prosecutors might face more challenges proving that argument in court.
“This victim was shot in the back of the head, not the front of the head, on a quiet sidewalk, early in the morning, in the dark. It doesn’t appear from a defense attorney’s perspective that this was intended to be a terroristic type of murder,” Schneider said.
Mangione’s defense team, according to Schneider, could move to dismiss the top count of murder against him, arguing the reactions following the killing were “unintended consequences.”
“The murder happened first, the outcry was second and totally unpredictable,” Schneider said. “So, I think this might be a case of overreaching on murder one.”
CNN’s Laura Dolan, John Miller, Shimon Prokupecz, Kara Scannell, Matt Egan and Lauren del Valle contributed to this report.
