Luigi Mangione faces New York court over killing of CEO Brian Thompson

Summary

Luigi Mangione has appeared at a New York City courthouse, charged with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
He arrived shackled and wearing a bulletproof vest, with at least six security guards surrounding him
Mangione's lawyer said he has been a "model prisoner" and asked for his shackles to be removed, to which the judge refused
Mangione's supporters were both inside and outside the courtroom, and shouts could be heard throughout the roughly 30-minute hearing
It was the first court appearance for Mangione since December, when he pleaded not guilty to murder and terrorism charges
Prosecutors allege Mangione shot Thompson, a father of two, outside a hotel in Manhattan before going on the run. He was arrested five days later while eating at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania
The killing of Thompson, who led a major health insurance company, caused anger among many Americans against the trillion-dollar industry

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Watch: Luigi Mangione arrives at court surrounded by security

Live Reporting

Edited by Brandon Livesay in New York with Madeline Halpert and Nada Tawfik reporting from court

Killing of insurance CEO revealed simmering anger at US health systempublished at 18:25 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Madeline Halpert & Mike Wendling
The "brazen and targeted" killing of health insurance executive Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, outside a New York hotel last December shocked America. The reaction to the crime also exposed a simmering rage against a trillion-dollar industry.
The latent anger felt by many Americans at the healthcare system - a dizzying array of providers, for profit and not-for-profit companies, insurance giants, and government programmes - burst into the open following the apparent targeted killing of Thompson in New York City.
Thompson was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the insurance unit of health services provider UnitedHealth Group. The company is the largest insurer in the US.
In a statement, UnitedHealth Group said it had received many messages of support from "patients, consumers, health care professionals, associations, government officials and other caring people".
But online many people, including UnitedHealthcare customers and users of other insurance services, reacted differently.
Those reactions ranged from acerbic jokes (one common quip was "thoughts and prior authorisations", a play on the phrase "thoughts and prayers") to commentary on the number of insurance claims rejected by UnitedHealthcare and other firms.
At the extreme end, critics of the industry pointedly said they had no pity for Thompson. Some even celebrated his death.
- Read more: Killing of insurance CEO reveals simmering anger at US health system
Large crowds gather in court ahead of hearingpublished at 18:18 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court
Image source, Reuters
It’s only a procedural pre-trial hearing today for Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of murdering UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson.
But it’s an absolute zoo here at Manhattan Criminal Court. A court official tells us there are more than 100 members of the public here.
Some of them have been waiting here since court opened to get into the hearing.
Outside, protesters are wearing green and carrying signs saying “Free Luigi”.
A woman tells another protester that she came all the way from Kansas to see the suspect.
The hearing is due to start at 14.15 local time (19:15 GMT).
Who was Brian Thompson?published at 18:12 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Image source, Unitedhealth
Brian Thompson was the US healthcare insurance chief executive who was gunned down in Manhattan.
Thompson 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.
Five days later, police charged an Ivy League graduate, Luigi Mangione, with murdering Thompson, after detaining him at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania.
A statement issued on behalf of the Thompson family said: “We are shattered to hear about the senseless killing of our beloved Brian.
"Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives."
The statement added that he was "an incredibly loving father" to his two sons.
Thompson and his wife, Paulette, had been living separately at the time of his death, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Thompson was named chief executive of UnitedHealthcare - the largest private insurer in the US - in April 2021.
He was paid $10.2m (£8m) in 2023. He started at the company in 2004, before working his way up.
- Read more: Who was Brian Thompson, healthcare CEO gunned down in New York?
Who is Luigi Mangione?published at 18:12 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Madeline Halpert & Mike Wendling
Image source, Instagram
The scion of a prominent Maryland family who came top of his class at an elite private school before graduating from an Ivy League college, Luigi Mangione seemed to have everything going for him, according to friends.
They have been left stunned by the 26-year-old's arrest for the murder of UnitedHealthcare's chief executive Brian Thompson, who was fatally shot in New York City. Mangione has pleaded not guilty.
According to a law enforcement bulletin seen by US media, Mangione was allegedly motivated by resentment at what he called "parasitic" health insurance companies.
He had spent time in a surfing community in Hawaii, but left owing to debilitating back pain, say those who remember him. It is unclear, however, to what extent his own health troubles shaped his views of the medical industry.
Mangione comes from a prominent family in the Baltimore area who are known for businesses including country clubs, nursing homes and a radio station according to local media.
Mangione attended the private, all-boys Gilman School in Baltimore. He was valedictorian, an accolade usually bestowed on the student with the highest academic achievements.
He went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science, according to the school, and founded a video game development club.
- Read more: Who is Luigi Mangione, CEO shooting suspect?
Luigi Mangione to face court over killing of healthcare CEOpublished at 18:11 Greenwich Mean Time 21 February
Brandon Livesay
Reporting from New York
Image source, EPA
Image caption,
A truck drives with Luigi Mangione's face on it drives around the Manhattan court
Hello and welcome to our live coverage from New York City, where Luigi Mangione is set to appear in court for the first time since December.
Mangione, 26, faces murder and terror charges over the death of Brian Thompson, who was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
Thompson, a father of two, was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel in December.
Mangione was arrested five days later while he was eating at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania. He has pleaded not guilty.
The case has become a major talking point for many Americans, where the trillion-dollar healthcare industry faces vast criticisms.
There are supporters of Mangione at the courthouse today, and a truck with his photo emblazoned across it is circling outside.
Today's hearing is preliminary, and we're not sure what details will come from it, but stick with us and we'll bring you the key updates as they happen.