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Luigi Mangione arrived for his extradition hearing Tuesday afternoon in an orange prison jumpsuit and handcuffs after New York prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder in connection with last week’s brazen killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
As Mangione was escorted into the Blair County Courthouse in Pennsylvania, he yelled: “It’s completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience!”
The charges were filed against the 26-year-old after he was captured at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Monday following a six-day manhunt and hit with firearm charges.
Just two weeks before the UnitedHealth CEO was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, Mangione’s mother, Kathleen, reported him missing to San Francisco police on November 18, a source told the San Francisco Standard.
The suspect had previously suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain and underwent major surgery for it in 2023 and, in the months after, had lost touch with friends and family, an acquaintance toldThe New York Times.
Mangione was arrested Monday after being recognized from the images circulated by the NYPD last week. He possessed a ghost gun, a suppressor, “multiple fraudulent IDs,” and a handwritten 262-word manifesto that allegedly slammed the health care system, authorities said.
The suspect is currently being held without bond in a Pennsylvania jail and will be extradited to New York to face the murder charge, according to NYPD Chief Detective Joseph Kenny.
Police receive threats after Mangione arrest
Altoona Police Department Deputy Chief Derek Swope told reporters that the department has received threats following the arrest of Luigi Mangione.
“We have received some threats against our officers and building here, we’ve started investigating some threats against some citizens in our community. We’re taking all those threats seriously and doing all the follow-up we can with those,” Swope said.
WATCH: Luigi Mangione struggles against officers as he’s taken to court
Who is Mangione’s lawyer?
Thomas M. Dickey says that he is representing Mangione, according to the New York Times.
The lawyer is based in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
He declined to comment further as he walked into the courtroom for Mangione’s extradition hearing.
Luigi Mangione yells out about ‘injustice’ as he’s escorted into hearing
Luigi Mangione arrives at courthouse for extradition hearing
Mangione has arrived at the courthouse for his extradition hearing. When being escorted inside, he yelled something about “injustice in the system.” Hearing should begin shortly.
— Alex Caprariello (@alcaprari23) December 10, 2024
Authorities release Luigi Mangione’s mugshot
Charges against Luigi Mangione
Luigi Mangione has been charged with one count of second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, one count of second-degree possession of a forged document, and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to online court documents.
‘Ghost guns are a criminal’s dream come true’
The gun safety group Giffords released a statement on ghost guns following Mangione’s arrest.
“Ghost guns are a criminal’s dream come true. The targeted assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, potentially committed with a ghost gun, shows just how dangerous these weapons are in the wrong hands,” Giffords Executive Director Emma Brown said.
“Anyone can print them at home or buy unfinished parts online without a background check or training. Yet due to extremists in the gun lobby, the ATF’s rule to stop criminals from getting ghost guns is under threat. Americans’ safety from ghost guns now lies in the hands of the Supreme Court justices. Here’s the bottom line: Ghost guns threaten public safety and must be subject to background checks like the guns they are.”
Mangione carrying his gun at time of arrest akin to saying ‘I did it,’ ex-FBI deputy director says
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe claimed that Luigi Mangione carrying his gun around the time of his detainment is akin to saying “I did it”.
Mangione was arrested on Monday while eating at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after being recognized from the images circulated by the NYPD last week.
He allegedly possessed a ghost gun, a suppressor, “multiple fraudulent IDs,” and a handwritten 262-word manifesto that allegedly slammed the health care system, authorities said.
McCabe made the comments to CNN on Tuesday after Mangione was charged with murder in connection to Brian Thompson’s fatal shooting in Midtown Manhattan last week.
“He carried that gun on his person,” McCabe said. “That’s basically like putting a sign in your pocket that says ‘I did it.’”
Mangione’s extradition hearing to take place today as suspect faces murder charges in New York
An extradition hearing for Luigi Mangione will take place this afternoon at 1:30 p.m., according to court officials in Pennsylvania.
The hearing will take place at the Blair County Courthouse, where the suspect was arraigned on Monday night, The New York Times reports.
It follows New York prosecutors filing murder charges against the 26-year-old suspect hours after he faced gun crimes charges in Pennsylvania on Monday, according to a court docket.
NYPD Chief Detective Joseph Kenny said on Monday that Mangione would be extradited to New York to face the murder charge.
Source: independent.co.uk
