Luigi Mangione has faced a federal court in Manhattan, charged with the murder of healthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Federal charges were filed against Mangione today, in addition to state charges he already faced on a state level in New York and Pennsylvania
His lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, told the court that the overlapping charges were "confusing" and unlike anything she had seen in 30 years of practicing law
Mangione did not enter a plea and will be kept in custody until his next court appearance
Earlier, the suspect was escorted from a NYPD helicopter by a large group of police, FBI and ATF agents, some wearing body armour and carrying rifles
The 26-year-old was arrested in a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania five days after Thompson was shot and killed on a Manhattan street outside a Hilton hotel
NYPD helicopter flies Mangione to Manhattan for court
Luigi Mangione is now in court for two hearings. The first is about a gun charge in Pennsylvania, and the second is regarding his potential extradition to New York.
Our reporter is inside the courtroom, but there's an order for mobile phones to be turned off.
We'll update you as soon as we have any news.
Image source, NYPD handoutIn TikTok videos, memes and group chats, a young man accused of shooting a father-of-two in the back on a New York City pavement has been fawned over and praised as a kind of folk hero.
This fetishisation was remarkably widespread, not limited to radical corners of the internet or any political affiliation, troubling many observers.
"We do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint," said Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, where Luigi Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's.
Almost immediately after UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead, the internet began to lionise his suspected killer. On TikTok, people posted videos of a "CEO assassin" New York City walking tour. On Spotify, playlists dedicated to the suspect started to appear.
Once Mangione was arrested, these fans came to his defence.
Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Pennsylvania courthouse
April drove six hours to stand outside court today
A few people have gathered outside the courthouse in Pennsylvania where Luigi Mangione is attending two hearings this morning.
One woman, April, tells me she’s driven six hours to get here today.
“I don’t agree with what happened, you know, violence, vigilantism… But violence has made changes in our country," she says.
She stresses that she “doesn’t agree” with the shooting of healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but adds that she is outside the court “hoping for change and reform”.
She describes her challenges with the US healthcare system, after being born with cystic fibrosis and subsequently requiring medication for her whole life.
“You have to make yourself poor to get healthcare, or you’ll die”, she says, before setting out how some of the rules around insurance have limited her from completing milestones like buying a house and working a stable job.
As we've mentioned earlier, alongside the state murder indictment against Luigi Mangione in New York, the shooting suspect is also expected to face a federal charge.
In a statement sent to the BBC, Karen Friedman Agnifilo says the federal government's reported decision "to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case" is "highly unusual" and "raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns".
"We are ready to fight these charges in whatever court they are brought."
Bernd Debusmann Jr
US Reporter
Image source, ReutersAlvin Bragg (C) said Mangione's "intent was to sow terror" by shooting Brian Thompson
Prosecutors in New York are using a little-known, decades-old anti-terrorism law in their case against Luigi Mangione, which could potentially mean a harsher sentence if he is convicted.
The charges, known as murder as an act of terrorism, apply when a crime is committed "with intent to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion or affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination or kidnapping”.
If convicted, the terrorism designation automatically means a harsher sentence.
As an example, the Associated Press noted that an assault, normally punishable by up to 25 years' imprisonment, would carry a potential life sentence.
According to New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Mangione's "intent was to sow terror" by gunning down Brian Thompson in a busy part of Manhattan on a weekday morning.
New York officials have also cited the anti-corporate message of Mangione's writings as warranting the terrorism designation.
Bernd Debusmann Jr
US Reporter
In addition to the state murder indictment being brought against him in New York, shooting suspect Luigi Mangione is also expected to be charged with a federal crime, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS, the BBC's US news partner.
Mangione is expected to appear at the US District Court in Manhattan as early as today, the sources said.
It is not immediately clear what federal charges Mangione could face.
However, federal charges could, in theory, allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty, which has been halted in New York since 2004.
At the moment, it is unclear if they will do so.
Luigi Mangione has arrived at Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, for his extradition hearing.
He's wearing an orange jumpsuit and was escorted from the police vehicle into the courthouse by officers.
We'll bring you more updates soon.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, UnitedHealthBrian Thompson, the US healthcare insurance chief executive who was gunned down in Manhattan, had been receiving threats relating to medical "coverage", according to his widow.
"There had been some threats," Paulette Thompson told NBC. "Basically, I don’t know, a lack of [medical] coverage? I don’t know details.
Thompson - a father of two - was shot in the back by a masked assailant on 4 December as he was walking into a hotel where the company he led was holding an investors' meeting.
Thompson was named chief executive of UnitedHealthcare - the largest private insurer in the US - in April 2021.
He was paid $10.2m (£8m) last year. He started at the company in 2004, before working his way up.
Before joining UnitedHealthcare, Thompson was a manager at accountancy giant PwC for a number of years, according to his LinkedIn account.
He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1997 with a bachelor's in business administration, it adds.
Thompson had also been facing insider trading allegations.
Image source, Getty ImagesLuigi Mangione has been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the New York district attorney said on Tuesday.
Mangione faces various charges, including first-degree murder, and two counts of second-degree murder, one of which describes the killing as an act of "terrorism", New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.
"The intent was to sow terror," Bragg said, calling the shooting a "frightening, well-planned and targeted murder".
In addition to murder, the suspect also faces weapons and forgery charges. If he is convicted on the most serious charges placed against him - first degree murder and second degree murder as an act of terrorism - Mangione could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
His lawyer, Thomas Dickey, has said he has not seen evidence that links Mangione's gun with the crime.
Image source, Getty ImagesFive days after Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO, was shot and killed on the street outside a Manhattan Hilton hotel, Luigi Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
He allegedly had a fake ID, a so-called ghost gun - assembled from untraceable parts - and what police say was a 3D-printed suppressor for the weapon.
New York prosecutors began to share evidence in their case against Mangione with a grand jury last week.
Today, Mangione faces a court in Pennsylvania for two different reasons. The first is a weapons charge in the state where he was found. The second, which will happen immediately afterwards, is an extradition hearing where prosecutors want to send him to New York to face murder charges.
If extradited, the 26-year-old could be transported to New York as soon as today.
Stick with us, we'll bring you the latest as it happens.