Luigi Mangione appeared in a Manhattan courthouse Monday morning where he pleaded not guilty to state charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mangione is accused of fatally shooting Thompson earlier this month outside a New York City hotel. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said he faces a first-degree murder charge and two second-degree murder charges in the alleged killing.
“This type of premeditated, targeted gun violence cannot and will not be tolerated, and my office has been working day in and day out to bring the defendant to justice,” Bragg said in a statement.
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Mangione eluded authorities for nearly a week — even as police released pictures of him in and around New York City.
On Dec. 9, police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, responded to a possible sighting at a McDonald’s. Officers responded and found Mangione eating breakfast at the restaurant.
Police said Mangione presented them with a fake ID before they searched his vehicle, where they say a firearm was located.
Court documents allege Mangione was also found in possession of a loaded 9 mm pistol and silencer consistent with the weapon used to kill Thompson; clothing that matched appeal worn by the shooter during Thompson’s killing; an envelope with several thousand dollars; and a letter addressed “To the Feds.”
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A notebook with troubling passages was also found, according to court documents. Investigators said the entries described details as “finally coming together” and “the target is insurance” because “it checks every box.”
Mangione also faces federal charges of murder through use of a firearm, as well as stalking and other crimes. He’s expected to face trial in New York prior to his federal trial.
