Terrorism Charges Against Luigi Mangione Are Dismissed

NEW YORK CITY — In the early morning darkness Tuesday, I arrived outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse just after 3 a.m. to secure a seat for Luigi Mangione’s hearing. At that hour, supporters were gathered across the street along the fences and chess tables of Collect Pond Park, wrapped in hoodies and jackets against the cool night air while drinking coffee and scrolling through their phones as police maintained watch nearby. Around 6 a.m., the line began crossing the street toward the courthouse entrance itself. By the time television crews and additional reporters started arriving after sunrise, the crowd had already formed tightly along the courthouse barricades.

When the courthouse finally opened hours later, spectators hurried through security checkpoints in an orderly stream to fill the courtroom gallery. The atmosphere inside felt unusually charged for what was technically a procedural hearing. Reporters lined the side benches balancing laptops on their knees while supporters whispered among themselves waiting for Justice Gregory Carro’s ruling.

Luigi Mangione appeared in court wearing beige prison clothing, handcuffed with ankle shackles as officers escorted him into the packed courtroom. From the gallery behind him, supporters craned their necks for a better look. The audience skewed notably young. Several attendees wore green in reference to the Nintendo character Luigi, while one woman sat quietly in a black “FREE LUIGI”.

Tuesday’s hearing resulted in a major shift in the Manhattan District Attorney’s case against Mangione. Justice Carro dismissed two terrorism-related charges tied to the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, ruling prosecutors had failed to establish the legal intent necessary under New York’s terrorism statute. Mangione still faces second-degree murder and eight additional criminal charges in state court, alongside a separate federal case where prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty.

As proceedings began, the courtroom fell almost completely silent. Mangione remained mostly expressionless during the hearing, occasionally leaning toward his attorneys as Justice Carro’s written ruling was discussed in court.

Carro rejected prosecutors’ argument that Thompson’s killing legally constituted terrorism under New York law. In the ruling, the judge wrote that while the crime was clearly not an ordinary act of violence, prosecutors had not sufficiently demonstrated that Mangione intended to intimidate a civilian population or influence government policy through coercion.

“While the defendant 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,” Carro wrote.

The judge also criticized the prosecution’s reliance on ideological language found in Mangione’s writings, including references to “revolutionary anarchism,” stating prosecutors had stretched the meaning of the phrase beyond what the evidence could support.

From where I sat in the back of the gallery, the tension in the room noticeably shifted as the ruling became clear. A few supporters exchanged quick glances while reporters immediately began typing updates. Mangione himself stayed silent at the defense table. As court adjourned and officers moved to escort him out, Mangione was led down the aisle past the supporter benches at the back of the courtroom. As deputies hurried him toward the exit, he appeared to quickly scan the rows of people gathered behind him, briefly taking in the packed gallery before disappearing through the courtroom double doors.

Outside the courthouse afterward, reactions spread quickly through the crowd gathered across the street. Some supporters cheered upon hearing the terrorism charges had been dismissed. One attendee stood in a full green Luigi costume near demonstrators holding signs criticizing the American healthcare industry. Nearby, an Italian tricolor flag reading “Healthcare is a human right” waved above the barricades as television crews filmed reactions from the sidewalk.

Despite dismissing the terrorism-related counts, Justice Carro allowed the second-degree murder charge to stand, writing there was sufficient evidence prosecutors could use to argue Mangione carried out a “premeditated and calculated execution.” That charge alone still carries a possible sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty in both the state and federal cases.

Outside court, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo described the ruling as “a big win.” The office of Alvin Bragg responded in a statement saying prosecutors “respect the Court’s decision” and would continue pursuing the remaining charges.

Nearly two years after Thompson was fatally shot outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel during a UnitedHealthcare investor conference, the case continues to draw intense public fascination. Mangione, arrested days later in Altoona, Pennsylvania, has become a deeply polarizing figure online, viewed by critics as a political extremist and by some supporters as a symbol of public anger toward the American healthcare system.

Mangione’s next state court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 1.