Suspect who shot healthcare CEO charged with murder – DW – 12/18/2024
The man accused of killing the CEO of UnitedHealthcare has been convicted of 11 charges, including murder as an act of terrorism, authorities announced Tuesday.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the CEO’s death was “a murder intended to cause terror. And we’ve seen that reaction.”
Luigi M., the suspect in the murder of Brian Thompson, was already charged with murder, but the terrorism charge is new.
Bragg, addressing the media during a press conference, described Thompson’s killing as a “brazen, targeted and premeditated shooting.”
“This was a horrific, well-planned, targeted murder intended to shock, attract attention and horrify,” Bragg said. “The intention was to sow terror.”
If convicted, Luigi M. faces life in prison without parole.
Luigi M. is currently incarcerated in a Pennsylvania prison
Luigi M was arrested following the search for the killer behind the death of the healthcare executive who enthralled Americans.
He was eventually arrested in Pennsylvania, where he was charged with gun and counterfeiting crimes, among other crimes.
He is being held there without bail and is fighting the convention in New York.
Bragg said Mangione has two court hearings scheduled for Thursday in Pennsylvania, including an extradition hearing.
Anger at American health system
The murder of Brian Thompson has exposed public anger toward the health care industry.
Americans rely primarily on employers for health insurance because the country does not have universal health care.
Private health care is very expensive. Approximately 500,000 people file for personal bankruptcy each year because of medical debt.
UnitedHealthcare, which is often criticized for refusing doctor-prescribed treatments, became the focus of public anger, despite the insurer confirming that Luigi M. was never a customer.
*Editor’s note: DW follows the German press code, which emphasizes the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected perpetrators or victims and obliges us to avoid revealing full names in such cases.
ss/rm (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)