The 27-year-old US shooter nonetheless faces a second-degree homicide cost and eight felony counts.
Printed On 16 Sep 2025
A New York State court docket within the US has dismissed two “terrorism” related counts towards Luigi Mangione over the killing of UnitedHealthcare government Brian Thompson.
The court docket handed down the choice on Tuesday.
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Mangione, 27, nonetheless faces fees of second-degree homicide and eight different felony counts associated to Thompson’s loss of life in December.
Justice Gregory Carro dominated that prosecutors had not introduced sufficient proof to the grand jury that Mangione acted with the intent to intimidate medical health insurance employees or affect authorities coverage, which might have been necessary to prove murder as an act of “terrorism”.
“Whereas there isn’t a doubt that the crime at difficulty right here will not be bizarre ‘avenue crime’, it doesn’t comply with that each one non-street crimes have been meant to be included inside the attain of the terrorism statute,” Carro wrote in his choice.
Mangione was led into the courtroom in Decrease Manhattan handcuffed and with shackles on his toes, carrying tan jail garb.
The decide set Mangione’s subsequent court docket date within the case for December 1 – practically a yr after Thompson’s loss of life. Thompson was killed on December 4, 2024, outdoors a resort in Midtown Manhattan, the place his firm was internet hosting an investor convention.
Mangione nonetheless faces vital penalties within the case towards him, together with life in jail if he’s finally convicted of homicide within the second diploma, which is outlined as an intentional killing.
He additionally faces a separate federal indictment over the killing of Thompson, the previous chief government of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance coverage unit UnitedHealthcare. Mangione has pleaded not responsible to each the state and federal fees.
Mangione faces seven counts of felony possession of a weapon and one rely of possessing a false identification within the state case towards him.
A spokesperson for Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg stated in a press release, “We respect the court docket’s choice and can proceed on the remaining 9 counts, together with homicide within the second diploma.”
The US Justice Division is looking for the loss of life penalty within the federal case towards Mangione. Carro’s dismissal of the state-level “terrorism” counts has no bearing on the federal case.
Steep healthcare prices
Whereas the killing of Thompson was additionally broadly condemned by public officers throughout the political spectrum, Mangione has develop into a people hero to some People who decry steep healthcare prices.
A small group of Mangione supporters gathered outdoors the courthouse on Wednesday morning. One was wearing a inexperienced costume of the Nintendo character Luigi, and one other held the pink, white and inexperienced Italian tricolor with the phrases “Healthcare is a human proper” inscribed on the flag.
About two dozen members of the general public – principally younger girls – secured a seat at the back of the courtroom to observe the proceedings. One wore a black T-shirt with the phrases “Free Luigi” written in white letters.
Trial dates haven’t but been set in both the state or federal instances. Mangione has been held in federal custody in Brooklyn since his arrest final yr.
