Prosecutors announced on Tuesday that the individual accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare's CEO has been charged with murder as an act of terrorism, aiming to expedite his extradition from a Pennsylvania jail to a court in New York, according to The Associated Press.
Luigi Mangione, previously charged with the murder of Brian Thompson on December 4, now faces an indictment that could streamline the legal process for his transfer to New York.
Mangione’s legal representative in New York has not yet made any public statements regarding the charges.
Thompson, aged 50, was fatally shot on a Manhattan street while on his way to a hotel hosting an investor conference for UnitedHealthcare, the largest medical insurance provider in the US, based in Minnesota.
Following an extensive manhunt and widespread media coverage, Mangione was apprehended on December 9 at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Authorities from New York reported that he was in possession of the firearm linked to Thompson's death, along with a passport and several counterfeit identification documents, including one used to register at a New York hostel.