Federal prosecutors have officially filed a notice to pursue the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in what authorities describe as a politically motivated killing.
Thompson, 50, was gunned down on December 4 outside a New York hotel during an investors’ meeting. Prosecutors allege that Mangione, who was arrested five days later in Pennsylvania after a nationwide manhunt, committed the murder to “amplify an ideological message” against the U.S. healthcare industry.
Attorney General Pam Bondi called the shooting a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination,” emphasizing that it was an act of political violence that endangered others nearby. The capital punishment notice, filed Thursday, cites Mangione’s stated intent to continue targeting the healthcare sector as a reason for seeking the death penalty.
Mangione faces four federal charges, including using a firearm to commit murder and interstate stalking resulting in death—charges that make him eligible for capital punishment. He is also facing 11 state charges in New York, including murder as a crime of terrorism, and has pleaded not guilty. If convicted at the state level, he faces life in prison without parole.
His attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, slammed the federal decision as “barbaric” and accused the government of hypocrisy. “While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the pre-meditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi,” she said.
The killing has sparked a national conversation about the U.S. healthcare system, with many Americans voicing outrage over high costs and limited access to care. Prosecutors argue that Mangione’s actions were driven by this broader anger and intended to inspire violent resistance.
The state and federal cases against Mangione will proceed in parallel. His plea hearing on the federal charges is scheduled for later today.