Luigi Mangione is reportedly being held in the same correctional facility as Diddy, as Mangione faces charges that could potentially result in the contentious death penalty.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Johnson was fatally shot in what authorities describe as a deliberate attack by the 26-year-old Mangione.
Johnson suffered gunshot wounds to his back and leg while leaving the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan earlier this month.
The authorities later revealed that a person of interest was apprehended at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following a tip from a fast-food employee.
New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg addressed the media earlier this week, asserting that Mangione’s actions aimed to “sow terror.”
“This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation,” Bragg stated.
“It occurred in one of the most bustling parts of our city, threatened the safety of local residents and tourists alike, commuters and businesspeople just starting out on their day. The intent was to sow terror.”
Marc Agnifilo, who is also defending Diddy in his own legal matters, appeared in federal court on Thursday (December 19) to announce he would be representing Mangione.
Mangione is incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, as reported by both CNN and ABC News, which is the same detention center where Diddy is being held on sex trafficking allegations.
The criminal indictment unveiled on Thursday suggests that the charges against Mangione could permit prosecutors to consider the death penalty.
It remains uncertain whether federal prosecutors will opt for this severe punishment.
The New York Times indicates that such a decision would likely be made by the attorney general, potentially after Donald Trump assumes office in January.
Under New York law, a terrorism charge, as filed against Mangione, can be applied when an alleged crime is ‘intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policies of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion and affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination or kidnapping’.
In the wake of Mangione’s arrest, some individuals on social media have voiced support for his alleged actions, prompting a response from law enforcement.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch condemned any defense of Mangione’s alleged conduct as ‘vile’.
“There is no heroism in what Mangione did,” Commissioner Tisch stated. “We don’t celebrate murders and we don’t lionize the killing of anyone.”