A New York judge on Tuesday dismissed terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione, delivering a major setback to prosecutors who sought to frame the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as an act of terror.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro ruled that although Mangione’s alleged actions were politically charged, they did not meet the strict legal definition of terrorism under New York law.
“While the defendant was clearly expressing animus toward UnitedHealthcare and the healthcare industry generally, it does not follow that his goal was to ‘intimidate and coerce a civilian population.’ Indeed, no evidence was presented of such a goal,” Carro wrote in his decision.
Mangione, 27, is accused of fatally shooting Thompson on December 4, 2024 — a case that has sharply divided public opinion and, in some corners of the internet, transformed him into an unlikely protest symbol.
In court, Mangione appeared in beige jail scrubs over a brown T-shirt, his hair neatly trimmed, his expression steady. Shackled and silent, he glanced briefly at the gallery, where three full rows of supporters had lined up hours earlier to see him.
As in prior hearings, dozens of backers — many of them young women — filled the courtroom gallery. Several wore green in reference to the Nintendo character Luigi, while one woman sported a “FREE LUIGI” shirt. Across the street, cheers erupted at a pro-Mangione rally when word spread that the terrorism charges had been thrown out.
Defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo secured a crucial win with Carro’s ruling, which dismissed two terrorism-related counts. The judge found prosecutors had failed to prove Mangione intended to “intimidate a civilian population,” noting that hostility toward the healthcare industry alone was insufficient to establish terrorism.
Still, Mangione faces serious charges. The most significant — second-degree murder — carries a possible life sentence. Eight additional counts remain, including weapons offenses.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office said in a statement: “We respect the Court’s decision and will proceed on the remaining nine counts, including Murder in the Second Degree.”
Outside court, the mood contrasted sharply with the quiet inside. Demonstrators waved signs reading “Healthcare for People, Not Profit” and carried cardboard cutouts of Mangione. Many wore green as a nod to his name, which has inspired a movement aesthetic.
One attendee dressed head-to-toe in Luigi-themed clothing, while others wore “Free Luigi” shirts that have become emblems of the grassroots campaign.
“It’s always sobering to see him in person because it’s so different from images,” said supporter Abril Rios, 26, who traveled in for the hearing. “But we’re here for justice and to highlight the broken system.”
Since his arrest, Mangione has become a cause célèbre among critics of the healthcare industry. Supporters hail him as a symbol of resistance to corporate greed, while Thompson’s family and industry leaders condemn the movement as dangerous hero-worship.
Prosecutors relied heavily on Mangione’s handwritten diary to support the terrorism charges. In it, he denounced the “greed-fueled health insurance cartel,” praised convicted bomber Theodore Kaczynski, and wrote that killing an insurance executive “conveys a greedy bastard that had it coming.”
But Carro found those writings insufficient to prove terrorism, noting that even federal prosecutors pursuing murder charges had not sought terrorism counts. “Terrorism has been famously difficult to define,” Carro wrote, criticizing the state for stretching Mangione’s references to “revolutionary anarchism” beyond their plain meaning.
Meanwhile, Mangione’s supporters have raised more than $1.2 million in online donations since his arrest, with contributions surging again after Tuesday’s hearing. His legal team has launched a dedicated website to manage the attention, share updates, and push back against misinformation.
The outpouring has come not only from New York but from across the country and abroad, spanning diverse ages, backgrounds, and politics. Critics, however, warn that Mangione’s growing fan base risks glamorizing violence. Thompson’s family and industry leaders have spoken out against the “Free Luigi” campaign, calling it deeply painful in light of their loss.
Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate from a prominent Baltimore family, was arrested in Pennsylvania after a multi-state manhunt. In addition to state charges, he faces federal counts that could bring the death penalty. His attorneys argue that forcing him to face dual prosecutions violates his rights.
With the next pretrial hearing set for December 1, the legal battle — and the cultural storm around it — are far from over. Whether Mangione is remembered as a convicted murderer or a symbol of resistance may ultimately be decided by a jury. For now, the chants of “Free Luigi” outside the courthouse suggest his following shows no sign of fading.
