The suspected killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 26-year-old Ivy League graduate Luigi Mangione, waived extradition in Pennsylvania Thursday and was flown by an NYPD helicopter from a Long Island airport to Manhattan. Then, in a dramatic scene, the cuffed suspect was perp-walked to the courthouse accompanied by NYC Mayor Eric Adams and a huge law enforcement presence.
A large law enforcement presence met Mangione on the helipad, including NYPD officers, officers in tactical gear with long guns, members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task force, along with NYPD motorcycles and two law enforcement boats in the water.
“This is quite a scene. I have never seen this many officials here for the arrival of a defendant in a case,” according to CNN’s Brynn Gingras on the ground.
Mangione is in court as of this writing and is expected to be arraigned shortly.
Adams explained why he was there:
“This act of terrorism and the violence that stems from (Mangione’s case) is something that will not be tolerated in the city. We wanted to personally be here to show the symbolism of leading from the front,” Adams told reporters after the escort.
Meanwhile, federal authorities have filed their own charges against Mangione, which they say take precedence over Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s charges. The fed’s charges could make him eligible for the death penalty:
According to a federal criminal complaint unsealed Thursday morning, he’s been charged with murder through use of a firearm, two stalking charges and a firearms offense.
Federal prosecutors say they have jurisdiction in the case because of Mangione’s “travel in interstate commerce” – taking a bus from Atlanta to New York prior to the killing – as well as “use of interstate facilities” by allegedly utilizing a cell phone and the internet “to plan and carry out the stalking, shooting, and killing of Brian Thompson in the vicinity of West 54th Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan.”
BREAKING: Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg Announces Charges Against Luigi Mangione, Includes Terror Count
In another new revelation, authorities contend that he began plotting the killing back in late summer:
Accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione appears to have been plotting his attack against Brian Thompson as far back as August, penning a desire to take out the CEO of a medical insurer in a notebook, laden with angry tirades against the industry, that investigators say belongs to him.
In an entry in the notebook dated Aug. 15, Mangione allegedly wrote “the details are finally coming together,” noting he “was glad” that he procrastinated in his preparations because it “allowed him to learn more” about UnitedHealthcare, the insurance behemoth Thompson led.
“The target is insurance,” he allegedly wrote, adding that UnitedHealthcare “checks every box.”
As we’ve reported, the murder has caused disturbing reactions among some ghoulish leftists:
The tragic murder set off a disgusting response from many leftists who lauded Mangione and indicated that it was just fine to shoot an insurance executive because many are not happy with their coverage. Sick stuff. Plus, it turns out the Mangione wasn’t even covered by UnitedHealthcare.
As we have reported, Mangione allegedly gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan on December 4. Mangione eluded authorities for several days but was finally nabbed at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
RedState will keep you updated as new developments arise.
