Washington DC [US], December 18 : Luigi Mangione was indicted on Tuesday (local time) for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan earlier this month, CNN reported.
Mangione faces an 11-count indictment, including one count of murder in the first degree and two counts of murder in the second degree in connection with the fatal shooting of Thompson on December 4, along with other weapon and forgery charges.
According to the indictment, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Mangione of second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism.
"This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a news conference.
He further noted the shooting happened "in one of the most bustling parts of our city, threatening the safety of local residents and tourists alike, and commuters and business people just starting out on their day."
Mangione, 26, is not going to fight extradition to New York, his lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo told CNN. He is set to appear in a Pennsylvania court for an extradition hearing on Thursday during which a judge will rule on the next steps for him to return to New York to face the indictment.
Mangione faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted, according to Bragg's office.
"This was a killing that was intended to evoke terror and we've seen that reaction," said Bragg. "This was not an ordinary killing. Not to suggest that any killing is ordinary, but this was extraordinary."
"The unsealing of today's indictment brings us one step closer to securing justice for Brian Thompson and his family and affirming the primacy of the rule of law in the city of New York," CNN quoted NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch as saying.
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