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U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced Tuesday that she has directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in a polarizing case that both shocked and captivated the nation in 2024.
Bondi is seeking the death penalty against 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who is accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. Mangione became somewhat of an internet sensation following the deadly killing, especially in the five days following the shooting when law enforcement kicked off a manhunt searching for the suspected killer.
Bondi said in an official statement that her decision to seek the death penalty in this case reflected President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime in America.
“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” she said.
Bondi added, “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.”
The DOJ’s press release described Mangione’s alleged actions as “an act of political violence.”
“Mangione’s actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons,” the release explained.
Mangione has been a lightning rod for controversy, attracting an odd following of hangers-on who appear to chillingly admire him for the alleged murder of Thompson. Last month, throngs of women waited outside a Manhattan criminal courtroom hoping to see the accused killer.
According to Reuters, Mangione has already pleaded not guilty on New York state charges of “murder as an act of terrorism and weapons offenses.”
The outlet reported that he faces life in prison without parole if convicted there, but he is also looking at a federal indictment in Manhattan federal court, which is where Bondi’s prosecutorial directive will come into play at the behest of U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky.
