US federal prosecutors have filed a formal notice seeking the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing a healthcare boss in New York.
In the filing, prosecutors argue that the 26-year-old killed UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, “to amplify an ideological message” and spark resistance to the health insurance industry.
The move was made just hours ahead of his plea hearing on four federal charges later on Friday.
Mr. Thompson was shot dead outside a hotel on December 4th, and Mr. Mangione was arrested days later in Pennsylvania after a nationwide manhunt.
In the capital punishment formal notice, filed on Thursday, prosecutors say Mr. Mangione poses a future danger because of his expressed intention to target the healthcare industry and rally support to his cause through violence.
He is facing 11 state criminal counts in New York, including first-degree murder and murder as a crime of terrorism.
