Terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione have been dropped by authorities.
In December 2024, the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street sent shockwaves across America and sparked a heated national debate about healthcare costs and corporate accountability.
The 50-year-old insurance executive was gunned down outside a midtown hotel just hours before he was scheduled to speak at UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference.
The killing triggered a five-day manhunt that ended when Luigi Mangione, a 27-year-old man, was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an employee recognized him from police photos.
What followed was an unprecedented public response that divided the nation. While many condemned the violence, others praised Mangione as a symbol of resistance against what they saw as a predatory healthcare system.
The case prompted intense discussions about healthcare inequality, with some viewing Mangione’s alleged actions as a desperate cry for reform in an industry seen by many as prioritizing profits over patient care.
His legal defense fund has raised over $1.2 million, and his court appearances regularly draw supporters wearing ‘Free Luigi’ t-shirts and holding protest signs, per the BBC.
On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Luigi Mangione scored a significant legal victory when New York State Judge Gregory Carro dismissed the two most serious terrorism-related charges against him, per the Guardian.
The judge ruled that prosecutors had failed to present ‘legally sufficient evidence’ for charges of first-degree murder in furtherance of an act of terrorism and second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism.
In his written decision, Judge Carro explained that while Mangione may have had ideological motivations, the evidence did not establish the necessary elements required under New York’s terrorism statute.
“While the People place great emphasis on defendant’s ‘ideological’ motive, there is no indication in the statute that a murder committed for ideological reasons… fits within the definition of terrorism, without establishing the necessary element of an intent to intimidate or coerce,” Carro wrote, per NBC.
The judge noted that although Mangione ‘was clearly expressing an animus toward UHC, and the health care industry generally, it does not follow that his goal was to “intimidate and coerce a civilian population,” and indeed, there was no evidence presented of such a goal.’
However, Mangione still faces a second-degree murder charge at the state level, which carries a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
He also continues to face federal murder charges, for which federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty under the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The judge rejected Mangione’s defense team’s argument that pursuing both state and federal charges constituted double jeopardy, ruling that state and federal governments represent ‘two sovereigns’ and therefore can prosecute the same individual for the same underlying conduct without violating constitutional protections.
Trial hearings are scheduled to begin on December 1st, with supporters already lining up outside the courthouse for a chance to witness the proceedings.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
