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The judge overseeing the case against Mr. Mangione said the evidence underpinning two of the most serious counts, one of which charged him with first-degree murder, was “legally insufficient.”
Sept. 16, 2025, 9:49 a.m. ET
Two state terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione, the defendant in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive last year, were dismissed on Tuesday, including one that had accused him of first-degree murder.
The judge overseeing the case, Gregory Carro, said he had found the evidence behind the charges “legally insufficient.” Mr. Mangione, 27, is still charged with second-degree murder.
The decision by Justice Carro is a blow to the Manhattan district attorney’s office, led by Alvin L. Bragg. The prosecutors had argued that a terrorism charge was warranted because Mr. Mangione had targeted an executive “of the United States’ largest health insurance company in front of the hotel where the company was about to conduct its annual investor conference” in Midtown Manhattan, which they said was “widely recognized as the media capital of the world.”
Mr. Bragg has said that the act was “a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation.”
The shooting of the executive, Brian Thompson, in December was one of a flurry of high-profile killings and attempted killings that have swept through American public life. President Trump faced two attempts on his life during last year’s campaign, a Democratic state senator from Minnesota was killed in her home and a conservative organizer, Charlie Kirk, was fatally shot last week during a speaking engagement in Utah.
After Mr. Thompson was gunned down outside the Midtown hotel, a manhunt stretched across states and Mr. Mangione’s arrest caught the rapt attention of the nation. His case galvanized anger at America’s privatized health care system and his appearances in court have attracted hundreds of supporters, some lining the hallways and others protesting outside.
He has been inundated with correspondence in the federal jail in Brooklyn where he is being held, and his lawyers have created a website to provide information about his case. An online fund-raising page set up to benefit his legal defense lists donations totaling about $1.5 million as of Tuesday.
Mr. Mangione, 27, is facing prosecution in two states and in three courts. In addition to the Manhattan state charges, he is also charged in federal court, including an accusation for which prosecutors can seek the death penalty. He also faces charges in Pennsylvania, where he was caught.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Hurubie Meko is a Times reporter covering criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney's office and state courts.
