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Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate arrested for the murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson, has been indicted in New York for murder as an act of terrorism. According to CNN, Mangione faced 11 charges, including one first-degree murder charge and two for second-degree murder.
Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania on December 9, five days after Thompson's murder in Midtown Manhattan. During his indictment, prosecutors claimed that Mangione allegedly killing Thompson was “in furtherance of an act of terrorism."
News of Luigi Mangione facing terrorism charges created a furore on social media after the 26-year-old was labeled a "hero" online for the CEO's murder. Many deemed it unfair that Mangione was accused of terrorism when school shooters did not face such charges, comparing his case with that of the Wisconsin school shooter.
For the unversed, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow opened fire in a classroom at Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin, killing two and injuring six. According to CNN, police claimed the suspect also died in the shooting due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
On hearing about Luigi Mangione's terrorism charges, one person tweeted:
“"Terrorism" if it's a CEO, but "unfixable" if it's school children.”
Several netizens echoed this sentiment.
"In america, it's terrorism to kill a ceo, but not to shoot up a school," one person tweeted.
"In America… Killing a CEO: terrorism Killing children: the price of freedom," another person added.
"Luigi getting hit with a terrorism charge…where was this charge for all of the school shooters in the past 12 years?" someone else commented.
Others claimed that Luigi Mangione was not a terrorist, adding he did not kill innocent people.
"If Mangione wanted to be a terrorist he would have used a bomb, as he considered but he didn't want to kill innocents. Nobody was terrified after this, everyone knows they're not a target," one person posted.
"Also nobody stayed out of the streets of New York while Mangione was on the lam, nor were they even advised to. That's because it's not terrorism," another person commented.
"These terrorism charges by the New York D.A. against Luigi Mangione are absurd. Luigi did not terrorize us. The private health insurance industry that kills and bankrupts us for profit is what terrorizes us," someone else added.
Luigi Mangione will not fight extradition to New York
According to CNN News, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Luigi Mangione's attorney, has said her client will not fight his extradition to New York, where Brian Thompson's murder occurred. He will reportedly appear in Pennsylvania court on December 19 for his extradition hearing.
Alvin Bragg, Manhattan's DA, accused Mangione of allegedly planning a "frightening" and "targeted murder" to cause "shock and attention." In a press conference on December 17, the DA said:
“This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation. The intent was to sow terror.”
He continued:
“This was a killing that was intended to evoke terror and we’ve seen that reaction. This was not an ordinary killing. Not to suggest that any killing is ordinary, but this was extraordinary.”
The DA added Luigi Mangione could face a life sentence with no parole if found guilty. Mangione's 11 charges also include forgery and gun-related charges.
United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson's death shocked the world after he was gunned down outside a hotel in Manhattan at around 6:45 am on December 4. Authorities found the words "deny," "depose," and "delay" written on the bullet casings and bullet found at the crime scene.
26-year-old Luigi Mangione was arrested for the CEO's murder five days after the incident occurred. Thompson's death and Mangione's subsequent arrest sparked a conversation about the expensive healthcare system in the US, with many netizens expressing their dismay and anger at health insurance companies.
