In a new court filing, federal prosecutors have accused Luigi Mangione of inspiring others to violence, including the gunman responsible for last month’s deadly shooting at the National Football League (NFL) headquarters in Manhattan.
The latest filing by federal prosecutors seeks to rebut a defense request for additional details about the evidence the government plans to present to justify seeking the death penalty for Mangione, who is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year in Manhattan.
Newsweek contacted Mangione’s legal defense team via online form for comment on Saturday.
Why It Matters
The allegation from federal prosecutors raises concerns that Mangione’s actions and words could be motivating copycat attacks, with prosecutors citing recent violent incidents as part of a wider pattern of extremism.
To many, Thompson’s murder was seen as a cultural moment, with Mangione being celebrated, even becoming a sex symbol, leading to concerns that his idolization by some could inspire others.
What To Know
According to Wednesday’s filing, prosecutors argue that Mangione “sought to normalize” violence through his communications and online activity, portraying his alleged crimes as acts to be imitated.
Citing Shane Devon Tamura—identified as the shooter who killed four people in last month’s attack at the Midtown Manhattan office building that houses the NFL headquarters—the filing says: “Shane Tamura brought in [an] assault rifle to a Manhattan office building, a short distance away from where Mangione had killed Thompson.
“Tamura shot and killed four people, including an off-duty police officer, an executive of a financial services firm, and a security guard, and he injured others, including an employee of the National Football League (“NFL“).
“Like Mangione, Tamura left behind a piece of evidence for investigators to find, blaming the NFL and football for causing chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Almost immediately, members of the public sympathetic to the defendant touted Tamura’s actions as a laudable continuation of the defendant’s philosophy.”
Tamura died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Five days after Thompson’s murder, Mangione was found carrying a three-page, handwritten note expressing “ill will toward corporate America” when he was detained in Pennsylvania, Joseph Kenny, NYPD‘s chief of detectives, said at the time.
Ammunition used in Thompson’s murder were inscribed with the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose.” Those terms are often associated with strategies employed by insurance companies to avoid paying claims, and bore close resemblance to the title of the 2010 book, Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.
Authorities allege Mangione continues to influence followers even while in custody. In the filing, prosecutors said Mangione remains a danger to the public because he is actively attempting to inspire others to replicate his actions.
“Simply put, the defendant hoped to normalize the use of violence to achieve ideological or political objectives,” the filing states. “Since the murder, certain quarters of the public—who openly identify as acolytes of the defendant—have increasingly begun to view violence as an acceptable, or even necessary substitute for reasoned political disagreement.
“The defendant poses a continuing danger not only in a personal capacity, but also because he has sought to influence others.”
What People Are Saying
The filing states: “The non-statutory aggravating factor of future dangerousness is fully warranted here because the evidence shows that the defendant represents an ongoing threat to the safety of others, whether in the community or within a custodial environment, and that his crime was motivated not by personal animus, but by a broader intent to send a message and inspire hostility toward an entire industry.
“The defendant’s writings make clear that the murder of Brian Thompson was conceived not simply as an act against one individual, but as a strike against the healthcare industry as a whole.”
The filing continued: “The context and execution of the murder strongly suggest that the defendant intended to influence or provoke broader reactions beyond the immediate killing. He wrote ‘Deny,’ ‘Depose,’ and ‘Delay,’ on the bullets he used to kill Thompson, knowing that the shell casings would likely be found by investigators and that this message—associated with criticism of the healthcare industry—would be widely disseminated in media coverage.”
What Happens Next?
As reported by Newsweek, the next court date in Mangione’s New York state case is scheduled for September 16. Mangione remains detained without bail as both federal and state prosecutions move forward.
Prosecutors are expected to push for continued detention, arguing that releasing him could pose a risk of further incitement.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to charges in Thompson’s killing. His legal team has not yet commented on the new claims raised in court.
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