‘Terrorism’ charge on Mangione dismissed in health insurance exec’s killing | Crime News

The 27-year-old US shooter nonetheless faces a second-degree homicide cost and eight legal counts.

A New York State courtroom within the US has dismissed two “terrorism” related counts towards Luigi Mangione over the killing of UnitedHealthcare govt Brian Thompson.

The courtroom handed down the choice on Tuesday.

Mangione, 27, nonetheless faces prices of second-degree homicide and eight different legal counts associated to Thompson’s dying in December.

Justice Gregory Carro dominated that prosecutors had not offered sufficient proof to the grand jury that Mangione acted with the intent to intimidate medical health insurance staff or affect authorities coverage, which might have been necessary to prove murder as an act of “terrorism”.

“Whereas there isn’t a doubt that the crime at situation right here shouldn’t be atypical ‘road crime’, it doesn’t comply with that each one non-street crimes had been meant to be included inside the attain of the terrorism statute,” Carro wrote in his resolution.

Mangione was led into the courtroom in Decrease Manhattan handcuffed and with shackles on his ft, carrying tan jail garb.

The decide set Mangione’s subsequent courtroom date within the case for December 1 – almost a 12 months after Thompson’s dying. Thompson was killed on December 4, 2024, outdoors a resort in Midtown Manhattan, the place his firm was internet hosting an investor convention.

Mangione nonetheless faces vital penalties within the case towards him, together with life in jail if he’s in the end convicted of homicide within the second diploma, which is outlined as an intentional killing.

He additionally faces a separate federal indictment over the killing of Thompson, the previous chief govt of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance coverage unit UnitedHealthcare. Mangione has pleaded not responsible to each the state and federal prices.

Mangione faces seven counts of legal possession of a weapon and one depend of possessing a false identification within the state case towards him.

A spokesperson for Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg mentioned in an announcement, “We respect the courtroom’s resolution and can proceed on the remaining 9 counts, together with homicide within the second diploma.”

The US Justice Division is looking for the dying penalty within the federal case towards Mangione. Carro’s dismissal of the state-level “terrorism” counts has no bearing on the federal case.

Steep healthcare prices

Whereas the killing of Thompson was additionally broadly condemned by public officers throughout the political spectrum, Mangione has turn into a people hero to some Individuals who decry steep healthcare prices.

A small group of Mangione supporters gathered outdoors the courthouse on Wednesday morning. One was wearing a inexperienced costume of the Nintendo character Luigi, and one other held the pink, white and inexperienced Italian tricolor with the phrases “Healthcare is a human proper” inscribed on the flag.

About two dozen members of the general public – principally younger girls – secured a seat at the back of the courtroom to look at the proceedings. One wore a black T-shirt with the phrases “Free Luigi” written in white letters.

Trial dates haven’t but been set in both the state or federal circumstances. Mangione has been held in federal custody in Brooklyn since his arrest final 12 months.