Luigi Mangione, suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, arrives at a heliport with members of the NYPD on December 19, 2024 in New York City. The 26-year-old was arrested in Pennsylvania on December 9 after being spotted at a McDonald’s in Altoona amid a national manhunt. Mangione also appeared in a Pennsylvania court on forgery and firearms charges today, where he waived extradition to New York after being indicted on 11 charges including first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
OAN Staff James Meyers 12:23 PM – Thursday, December 19, 2024
Accused killer Luigi Mangione appeared to have started plotting his attack against UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson back in August, as investigators have now discovered a notebook belonging to Mangione that is filled with condemning entries regarding the U.S. healthcare industry.
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In an entry on the notebook that dated back to August 15th, Mangione, 26, purportedly wrote that he “was glad” that he procrastinated in his preparations, since it “allowed him to learn more” about UnitedHealthcare as a company.
“The target is insurance,” he allegedly wrote, adding that UnitedHealthcare “checks every box.”
More details from Luigi Mangione’s notebook revealed in his federal complaint.
An October 22nd entry shared by federal investigators in a complaint unsealed on Thursday alludes to an investor conference coming up in six weeks, in which he described his intention to “wack” the CEO of one of the insurance companies invited.
On Thursday morning, Mangione appeared in Blair County, Pennsylvania, for a preliminary hearing where he waived extradition and was subsequently taken into the custody of the New York City Police department. He was then flown to New York, where he landed shortly after noon.
Mangione was brought back to New York via police helicopter on Thursday to face new federal charges, escalating the case after his earlier indictment on state charges.
In addition to his first degree murder charge, the suspect’s new federal charges include two counts of stalking, murder through use of a firearm, and another firearms offense.
However, some legal experts, like criminal defense attorney Stacy Schneider, have questioned whether prosecutors will have enough evidence for him to be charged with first degree murder as an act of terrorism.
“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. “The murder happened first, the outcry was second and totally unpredictable,” she added. “So, I think this might be a case of overreaching on murder one.”
If he is convicted of first degree murder as an act of terrorism, it means that he could face life in prison without parole.
The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate is accused of ambushing and fatally shooting CEO Brian Thompson on December 4th outside a Manhattan hotel, where the head of the United States’ largest medical insurance company was walking to an investor conference.
Authorities have stated that Mangione was carrying the ghost gun used to kill Thompson, a passport, a couple of fake IDs, and almost $10,000 when he was arrested at a McDonalds on December 9th in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Mangione, who initially fought attempts to extradite him, made two brief court appearances on Thursday, first waiving a preliminary hearing on forgery and firearms charges before agreeing to be sent back to New York.
Investigators still believe that he was motivated by his own anger towards the U.S. healthcare system and corporate greed in general.
Soon after, the murder prompted a rise of stories related to Americans’ resentment toward U.S. health insurance companies, while also rocking the corporate world after a handful of popular social media users had referred to the shooting as vigilante “payback.”
Mangione repeatedly posted on social media about his spinal surgery last year and how it had eased his chronic back pain, encouraging people with similar conditions to speak up for themselves if told they just have to live with it.
“We live in a capitalist society,” Mangione wrote. “I’ve found that the medical industry responds to these keywords far more urgently than you describing unbearable pain and how it’s impacting your quality of life.”
Mangione reportedly cut himself off from his family and close friends in recent months, with some outlets claiming that he went rogue around 4 months ago, traveling to different countries. His family reported him missing in San Francisco, California, in November. Additionally, some of his relatives who reached out to the press said in a statement that they were “shocked and devastated” by his “alleged crime and sudden arrest.”
🚨#BREAKING: Watch as Luigi Mangione arrives in Manhattan escorted out of a NYPD helicopter followed by armed federal officers
Watch as murder suspect Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson, is escorted out of an NYPD… pic.twitter.com/ubTsj3Wy1y
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