AILSA CHANG, HOST:
A New York grand jury has indicted the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Luigi Mangione faces murder charges for allegedly gunning down Thompson in a targeted attack on a Manhattan street. Samantha Max of member station WNYC joins us now. Hi, Samantha.
SAMANTHA MAX, BYLINE: Hi.
CHANG: All right, so take us through these charges in New York. What are they?
MAX: So he's facing first degree-murder, second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon and then also criminal possession of a forged instrument, for allegedly having a fake ID. And something that I should note is that some of these murder charges allege that the killing was committed in furtherance of terrorism. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg called the shooting brazen and said it was meant to cause shock and intimidation. So there's still a lot that we don't know about the shooter's motives, but there are questions about whether Thompson was targeted for his role at this major insurance company that's known for high rates of insurance claim denials.
CHANG: OK. And can you just step back for a moment and remind us what led to these charges? I mean, what exactly happened a few weeks ago?
MAX: So prosecutors say that Mangione took a bus to New York City several weeks ago and checked into a hostel using a fake ID. And then early in the morning of December 4, they say he arrived outside the Midtown hotel where Thompson was staying for this annual conference, that he waited outside for about an hour. And then as Thompson is crossing the street, they say Mangione walks up from behind, pulls out a 3D-printed ghost gun and shoots him once in the back and once in the leg, killing him. Then they say he hopped on an e-bike, later took a cab uptown. And then this all starts a dayslong search, scouring of surveillance footage, trying to find him. And eventually police locate him at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where he was arrested. And I should also note that Mangione's attorney has declined to comment.
CHANG: OK. Well, of course, this whole case - it reignited a debate across the country about the health care industry. Some people have even been celebrating Thompson's killing. And I'm wondering, did New York City officials have anything to say about that conversation?
MAX: Yeah. I mean, they took a pretty stark tone today at a press conference announcing the indictment. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the shooting a cowardly attack, and she compared people who call for vigilantism against Thompson or other CEOs to a, quote, "lawless, violent mob."
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JESSICA TISCH: Let me say this plainly. There is no heroism in what Mangione did. This was a senseless act of violence. It was a cold and calculated crime that stole a life and put New Yorkers at risk. We don't celebrate murders, and we don't lionize the killing of anyone.
MAX: And Bragg also condemned any celebration of the killing and said Thompson's family deserves respect as they grieve.
CHANG: Well, Mangione is physically in Pennsylvania now, where he was arrested and where he's also facing charges. What does that case mean for the New York case? Do you know?
MAX: So New York officials are trying to get Mangione here to New York. Governor Kathy Hochul has gotten involved. Bragg says that his office is also working with Pennsylvania officials. He said that Mangione is expected in court on Thursday, and that's when we'll find out how soon he might be extradited. So from there, eventually he'll be getting to New York. He'll be arraigned. A judge will decide whether to set bail, and then the whole pretrial process will begin.
CHANG: That is Samantha Max from WNYC. Thank you so much, Samantha.
MAX: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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