Accused UnitedHealthcare CEO Killer Luigi Mangione Meets with a Hundred Protesters in Courtroom
Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Adam Thompson, arrived at the Blair County Courthouse in Pennsylvania for his extradition hearing on Thursday. In attendance were at least 100 protesters who gathered to support the alleged assassin and display signs with messages of opposition towards the healthcare insurance system. The protesters also hauled signs with phrases like “Free Luigi,” “Health Insurance Practices Terrorize People,” and “Muder For Profit Is Terrorism.”
Adam Giesseman, one of the protesters, stated, “I think our country is broken and the people don’t care about the working class. If what is alleged is true, he should suffer the consequences of what is handed to him, but I’m glad he brought attention to the fact that our country is broken.”
Some demonstrators took a more extreme view, describing Mangione as a “hero” and proclaiming that the assassination and subsequent manhunt shed light on the country’s issues. Many of the protesters waved signs with the slogan “Deny, Delay, Depose,” which refers to the perceived schemes used by healthcare companies to limit medical claims in pursuit of profits.
Mangione, who is expected to waive extradition and return to New York to face murder charges, is accused of the murder of Thompson on December 4 outside a hotel in Midtown. Prosecutors are considering adding terrorism charges to the murder allegations. If convicted, Mangione could face life in prison without parole. His scheduled hearing is set for later this month.
