US Pushes for the Death Penalty Against Luigi Mangione
On December 4th, 2024, Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot in Midtown Manhattan. Five days later, about 280 miles west of New York City, police arrested Luigi Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. An employee called authorities after a customer noticed Mangione’s resemblance to the suspect in released images of Thompson’s alleged killer.
Upon being searched, Mangione was reportedly found with a 3D printed gun and suppressor, similar to the weapons used in the shooting. He was also found with a fake driver’s license from New Jersey matching the name of a man who checked into a Manhattan hostel in late November.
Further investigation found that the shell casings discovered at the crime scene matched the gun found on Mangione. The officers who arrested Mangione also found a handwritten manifesto about the American healthcare system.
Mangione faces several charges across multiple jurisdictions including stalking resulting in death, murder of a federal interest victim, use of a firearm in a crime of violence, use of a silencer during the commission of a crime, first-degree murder as an act of terrorism, criminal possession of a weapon, carrying a firearm without a license, forgery, tampering with records or identification, possession of instruments of crime, and false identification to law enforcement.
Since his arrest, Mangione has received support and praise online for his actions against the healthcare industry. The hashtag #FreeLuigi has been shared over 50,000 times on X and supporters have gathered outside courthouses during his hearings. Mangione’s fellow inmates at SCI Huntingdon in Pennsylvania were heard shouting “Free Luigi” from their cells.
His growing base of supporters has also raised more than $700,000 toward his legal defense. On February 14, 2025, Mangione thanked the public in his first official statement since his arrest, stating that “the support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions.”
Recently, U.S Attorney General Pam Bondi instructed the federal prosecutors to push for the death penalty against Mangione. Bondi described the murder as a “cold blooded assassination.” This decision aligns with the Trump’s administration’s agenda to combat violent crime.
On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed and released an executive order titled “Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety.” The order declares that capital punishment is an essential tool to prevent and punish heinous crimes and directs the Attorney General to pursue the death penalty for any crimes of sufficient severity.
Bondi, who took office in early February, supported Trump’s executive order, denouncing Biden’s actions to counter the actions from Trump’s first presidency by commuting the death sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life in prison. She believes “They had severely undermined the rule of law” and “betrayed our sacred duty and broke our promise to achieve justice.”
“This shameful era ends today. Going forward, the Department of Justice will once again act as the law demands, including by seeking death sentences in appropriate cases and swiftly implementing those sentences in accordance with the law,” said Bondi, announcing the Justice Department would lift the prevention of federal executions put in place during the Biden administration.
Bondi has directed the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Matthew Podolsky, to seek the death penalty if Mangione is convicted on capital murder charges. Mangione’s attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo has said she was discussing with the Justice Department over the decision. Agnifilo stated on Tuesday that the Justice Department’s push for the death penalty shows that they have “moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric.”
“Their decision to execute Luigi is political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent,” Agnifilo said in a statement. “While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the pre-meditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi. By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorize the American people.”
Legally, the first-degree murder charge alleges that Thompson’s killing was carried out “in furtherance of an act of terrorism,” meaning it was intended to intimidate or coerce civilians or government entities. One of the second-degree counts also defines Mangione’s committed murder “as a crime of terrorism.”
The decision to seek the death penalty has sparked public debate. “Well I think it’s a bit exaggerated because he only killed one person. It’s not like he’s a serial killer. I don’t think it should be escalated to terrorism and the death penalty,” said junior Lena Fucci.
“I don’t think the charge should be the death penalty. I think there are more severe crimes that they don’t charge with death than that. I think he’s going to get like 10 to 20 years if he’s found guilty,” said senior Krysty Castillo.
Mangione’s fate at the moment is uncertain however the public appears to be in favor of him. Bondi stated on Sunday that she has received multiple death threats for her actions to push for the death penalty. Mangione’s pretrial for his federal case has been delayed until at least next Friday.
