Journalism of Courage
A New York state judge on Tuesday dismissed terrorism-related charges against Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, though the 27-year-old still faces a second-degree murder charge.
Justice Gregory Carro announced the ruling as Mangione was brought into court in handcuffs and prison clothing.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges over the December 2024 shooting of Thompson, who was killed outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel where his company was holding an investor meeting.
Carro said in his decision that New York law does not treat a killing as terrorism only because it is driven by political or social beliefs. “While the defendant was clearly expressing an animus toward UHC, and the health care industry generally, it does not follow that his goal was to intimidate and coerce a civilian population,” the judge wrote, according to Associated Press (AP).
Mangione’s lawyers had argued that the state case and a separate federal prosecution, which includes a death penalty request, put him in legal jeopardy twice for the same crime. Reuters reported that Carro rejected this claim, calling it premature.
Outside the Manhattan courthouse, Reuters journalists saw a small group of Mangione’s supporters, one dressed as the Nintendo character Luigi and another carrying an Italian flag with the words “Healthcare is a human right.” Inside the courtroom, members of the public wore shirts with slogans such as “Free Luigi.”
The AP said prosecutors have cited Mangione’s handwritten notes, in which he called the health insurance industry “greedy” and praised the Unabomber, as evidence that the killing was part of a broader anti-industry message.
Mangione was arrested five days after the shooting in Pennsylvania and has been held in federal custody in Brooklyn since then.
Pre-trial hearings in the state case are set for 1 December, just before Mangione is due in federal court.
