BURSTManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) said the suspect in the UnitedHealthcare CEO killing “intended to evoke terror" in comments he made during a Tuesday press conference.
Bragg announced that a grand jury indicted the suspect, Luigi Mangione, on 11 charges, including first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder, one of which was charged as a terrorism crime.
“In its most basic terms, this was a killing that, it was intended to evoke terror,” Bragg said. “And we’ve seen that reaction.”
In the indictment, the alleged murder was described as an attempt to “intimidate or coerce” civilians and influence the government.
“This was not an ordinary killing,” Bragg said. “Not to suggest that any killing is ordinary, but this was extraordinary.”
Bragg alleged Mangione waited in Manhattan for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson before firing shots that ultimately killed him. He called it a “frightening, well-planned, targeted murder.”
Thompson was killed outside the Hilton Midtown hotel before the company’s annual investor meeting. The suspect fled, and a days-long manhunt ensued.
Mangione, 26, has been in custody since last week and is being held in a Pennsylvania prison after he was spotted in a McDonald’s.
Police say a ghost gun, silencer and writings expressing ill will were found on Mangione and link him to the crime.
Mangione is set to appear in court Thursday for firearm charges in Pennsylvania.
Prosecutors in New York are looking to extradite him back to Manhattan to face the murder charges outlined Tuesday. Bragg said there are “indications” that he may waive his extradition hearing.
Mangione has seen a flood of online sympathy and support, with many people expressing grievances with the U.S. health care system.
Prosecutors argued in the press conference Tuesday that concerning signs of support for killing CEOs have emerged since Thompson’s death.
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch highlighted the concern, calling the threats “lawless” and “violent.”
“Let me say this plainly, there is no heroism in what Mangione did,” she said. “This was a senseless act of violence. It was a cold and calculated crime that stole a life and put New Yorkers at risk.”