Luigi Mangione to face death penalty in murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in what authorities have described as a politically motivated attack.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced the decision in a statement on Tuesday, calling the killing a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.”

“After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again,” Bondi said.

Mangione, 26, was arrested on December 9, 2024, in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after Thompson was shot and killed on a sidewalk outside a Manhattan hotel. Officers recovered a firearm, a suppressor, and other evidence at the time of his arrest.

Federal prosecutors allege that Mangione stalked Thompson and carried out the shooting in full view of bystanders. Authorities say the murder involved significant planning and posed a serious risk to the public.

Following Mangione’s arrest, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro praised the local tip that led to his capture and condemned online reactions celebrating the killing. “The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s,” he said.

Federal charges were formally filed against Mangione on December 19. Tuesday’s announcement directs Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky to pursue the death penalty, in line with Attorney General Bondi’s earlier directive to resume federal executions and revive capital punishment in applicable cases.

Thompson, a father of two, was CEO of UnitedHealthcare and had been scheduled to deliver a keynote address at an investor meeting shortly before he was killed.