Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, pleaded not guilty to federal charges Friday during an arraignment in Manhattan federal court, as U.S. prosecutors moved forward with plans to seek the death penalty.
Mangione, wearing a beige prison jumpsuit and shackled at the wrists and ankles, entered pleas of not guilty to charges including murder, two counts of stalking, and a firearms offense. He sat quietly between two defense attorneys during the 30-minute hearing, occasionally scribbling notes on a yellow legal pad.
During the proceeding, defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo indicated Mangione's legal team would ask for the federal trial to occur before his pending state trials in New York and Pennsylvania. The move comes after the Justice Department formally announced Thursday that it will seek capital punishment, a decision authorized by Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this month.
U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett scheduled the next hearing for December 5, anticipating a federal trial could begin in 2026. If convicted, Mangione would face a separate penalty phase in which jurors would need to unanimously recommend the death penalty.
The Justice Department argued in its filing that Mangione "presents a future danger because he expressed an intent to target an entire industry, and rally political and social opposition to that industry, by engaging in an act of lethal violence." Prosecutors allege Mangione specifically targeted Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare's insurance division, as part of a broader vendetta against the American health insurance system.
Authorities said Mangione, who was not a UnitedHealthcare policyholder, left a "claim of responsibility" notebook at the time of his arrest and carried shell casings inscribed with the words "delay," "deny," and "depose" - phrases associated with insurance industry criticisms. A 9-millimeter pistol, silencer, and matching clothing were recovered when Mangione was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following a five-day manhunt.
Mangione's supporters, galvanized by frustrations over the cost and practices of the U.S. health insurance industry, gathered outside the courthouse Friday. Many wore green in homage to Nintendo's "Luigi" character, waving banners reading "Luigi Before Fascists" and "Stop the Violence: End the Death Penalty Now." Among the crowd was whistleblower Chelsea Manning, who has previously attended Mangione's hearings.
Meanwhile, public officials denounced the killing. "In America, we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint," Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said shortly after Mangione's arrest. "He is no hero."
Mangione also faces state murder and terror charges in New York, where he pleaded not guilty, and firearm and forgery charges in Pennsylvania related to the 3D-printed weapon and false identification he allegedly carried. His defense has filed motions in Pennsylvania seeking to dismiss the charges, arguing the evidence was illegally obtained.
Controversy surrounding Mangione has intensified since his dramatic transfer to New York in December, when heavily armed NYPD officers paraded him through the city, flanked by Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Defense attorneys criticized the media spectacle as prejudicial and accused law enforcement of exploiting public attention.
A legal defense fund for Mangione had raised over $900,000 as of April 24, reflecting deep national divides over the case. In prior court filings, prosecutors disclosed that Mangione's attorneys had even supplied him socks containing hidden heart-shaped notes of support, an incident the defense said was inadvertent.
