New York Governor Kathy Hochul promises to bring Luigi Mangione back to the state to face charges for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO.
Pennsylvania continues to keep Mangione in jail.
On Thursday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul pledged to bring back to New York suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione to face newly unveiled terrorism charges.
Mangione, who is still in jail in Pennsylvania after a dayslong manhunt, was already charged with murder for the Dec. 4 shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside the Hilton Hotel in New York City. On Wednesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced an indictment that added allegations of terrorism. Bragg expressed "heartfelt prayers" to Thompson's family and stated that "this type of premeditated, targeted gun violence cannot and will not be tolerated."
"New York is prepared to take any necessary steps to hold the killer accountable for the murder of Brian Thompson, as @ManhattanDA has filed an indictment. If the defendant chooses not to waive his extradition rights, Governor Hochul is ready to request a warrant to ensure he is held and tried in New York."
An investor conference was being held at a hotel in Minnesota, and Thompson, a 50-year-old man, was shot while walking to the hotel. The conference was hosted by UnitedHealthcare, the largest medical insurer in the United States.
The denial of coverage and disagreements between doctors and insurers resulted in a surge of resentment towards U.S. health insurance companies, as Americans shared their experiences of being left in limbo and facing large bills online and elsewhere.
The shooting in New York also caused panic among C-suites, as "wanted" posters featuring the faces of other healthcare executives were displayed on the streets, and some social media users praised Mangione's actions as revenge.
The New York Police Commissioner, Jessica Tisch, stated on Tuesday that any attempt to justify this action is despicable, irresponsible, and disrespectful to our fundamental values of fairness.
The New York law enacted following the 9/11 attacks enables prosecutors to charge offenses as acts of terrorism if they are aimed at intimidating or coercing the general public, swaying government policies through fear or coercion, and impacting the actions of a government agency through murder, assassination, or kidnapping.
On December 9, after days of extensive police searches and publicity, Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. According to New York police officials, Mangione was in possession of the murder weapon, a passport, and several fake IDs, including one that he used to check into a New York hostel.
In Pennsylvania, a 26-year-old was arrested for gun and forgery offenses and held without bail. His lawyer in Pennsylvania has challenged the evidence for the forgery charge and the legal basis for the gun charge. The attorney has stated that Mangione will contest extradition to New York.
An extradition hearing and another court hearing are scheduled for Thursday in Pennsylvania for Mangione, according to Bragg.
The Manhattan district attorney's office filed paperwork charging him with murder and other offenses hours after his arrest. The indictment adds to the charges.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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