Manhattan District Attorney Alan Bragg said Luigi Mangione will face justice for allegedly killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, hinting that more charges are on the horizon.
Mangione, 26, is accused of gunning down Thompson while he walked to a meeting with investors on Dec. 4. The killing has ignited strong reactions across the country as some have used the murder as an opportunity to vent their frustrations with the healthcare industry.
Mangione, who was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, has to be extradited to the U.S. Mangione already faces second-degree murder charges, forgery charges related to fake IDs he allegedly used, and criminal possession of a weapon.
"As we learn more about motives and other things like that ... there may be additional charges," Bragg told ABC 6 news. "We intend to learn more, and we have a lot of things to do. As things go forward, there may be additional charges to bring."
Bragg described Mangione's alleged crimes as "extraordinarily scary."
"It is very scary, and it is something that has the attention of so many who live here, so many who come to work here, and rightfully so," Bragg told ABC 6 news.
Mangione's attorney, Thomas Dickey that Mangione plans to plead not guilty to the New York criminal counts, according to CNN.
Dickey added that he had not seen evidence actually linking his client to the shooting.
However, CNN also reported that New York police have matched shell casings from the Thompson shooting to a homemade 'ghost gun' Mangione was carrying. Also, police said that Mangione's fingerprints were found on items linked to the scene of the crime.
In the interview with ABC, Bragg also addressed the public's reaction to the murder.
"I ... have spent time with families of homicide victims, with survivors of violent crime," Bragg said. "That's the centerpiece of our work, and to think that there are others celebrating this conduct is beyond comprehension to me."
