On the morning of Friday, April 25, 2025, Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty in front of a federal judge for allegedly killing UnitedHealth Care CEO Brian Thompson in December. Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from Maryland, faces an indictment consisting of four federal charges, including two counts of stalking, armed firearm offense and first-degree murder furtherance of an act of terrorism. If convicted, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to implement the death penalty.
It was the first time the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would pursue capital punishment since President Donald Trump returned to office, vowing to resume federal executions after they were paused under the previous administration.
Authorities claim the suspect shot Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, outside the New York Hilton in Midtown on Dec. 4, 2024. Surveillance video footage shows a masked gunman shooting the CEO from behind. Police on the scene claim they discovered bullets engraved with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” a phrase commonly used to describe how insurers avoid paying for people’s claims.
Five days after the murder, Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, 270 miles away from where the shooting took place. Allegedly, at the time of his arrest, he possessed multiple fake IDs, the gun authorities believed was used in the killing and a manifesto claiming responsibility for the crime. Though he was not insured by UnitedHealthcare, he openly expressed hostility towards the healthcare industry and wealthy executives in power.
Mangione has gained a following of supporters who view the American healthcare insurance industry as broken. Some people stood outside his court hearing wearing “Free Luigi” scarves and sweaters, chanting his name in support of him and criticizing the corrupt healthcare system. In contrast, other people have openly spoken against Mangione, for instance, a man protested outside the courthouse parading around a skeleton dressed as Luigi from the Mario Brothers, symbolic of Mangione currently facing the death penalty.
Mangione’s popularity has influenced playwrights to write live art forms such as “Luigi: The Musical,” advertised as “A story about love, murder and hashbrowns,” set to premiere in June at the Taylor Street Theatre in San Francisco. Mangione has also captured hearts on a global scale. People worldwide have made TikTok edits of him on national news, and supporters have written fanfiction stories about him.
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione’s attorney, has publicly acknowledged that he is being used as a prop for a media spectacle and entertainment. Just weeks after Thompson’s death, TMZ and Hulu released a documentary on Mangione’s alleged involvement with the murder. The documentaries suggest he is guilty of the crimes before he is granted a fair trial. This sparked backlash from legal experts and Mangione’s supporters alike, who argue that the media is shaping public opinion before the justice system makes a decision.
On June 26, Mangione is expected to attend state court proceedings. After that, his federal hearing will occur on Dec. 5, where U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett will set a trial date. Mangione remains at the center of an international conversation about due processes, media portrayal and injustices in the healthcare industry. The trial is expected to raise critical questions about the United States justice system. Mangione’s fate now rests in the hands of the court.
