Luigi Mangione told a prison guard he had a 3D-printed gun in his backpack after his arrest for allegedly gunning down a UnitedHealthcare executive, according to testimony at a New York City court hearing to determine whether prosecutors can use his statements and other evidence at trial.

A prison guard testified that Mangione volunteered the information about the 3D-printed pistol during intake, saying he had kept it in his backpack at the time of his arrest. Police say the backpack also contained a silencer and journal writings that allegedly link him to the killing.

A defence lawyer questioned the guard’s account, pressing him on whether he might have initiated questioning without advising Mangione of his rights.

“You weren’t asking him any questions, you weren’t speaking to him at all… And out of nowhere he says to you, ‘I had a 3D-printed pistol’?” defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo asked.

The guard maintained that he did not question Mangione and told prosecutors he had no stake in the case’s outcome.

Mangione, 27, was arrested in December 2024 and charged with fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Midtown Manhattan sidewalk.

He has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges and is expected to face trial next year.

The killing drew condemnation from public officials, even as Mangione became a folk hero to critics of high U.S. healthcare costs.

His statements to law enforcement and the contents of his backpack could become key evidence, though his lawyers argue they should be suppressed because he was illegally searched and not informed of his rights.

Prosecutors deny any misconduct.

Prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office have opposed the request to suppress evidence.

Surveillance footage shown in court on Monday depicted police speaking with Mangione inside a McDonald’s restaurant for more than 30 minutes before arresting him — a detail the defence says supports its claim that Mangione was questioned unlawfully. The videos, which have no audio, were shown publicly for the first time.

Prosecutors also questioned a 911 coordinator about a call made by a McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania, who reported Mangione after customers recognised him from news coverage.

“I have a customer here that some other customers are suspicious of who looks like the CEO shooter, and they’re really upset and they’re coming to me,” the employee said in a recording played in court.

Mangione faces life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder, as well as seven counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of possessing false identification.

Justice Carro dismissed two terrorism counts in September, ruling that prosecutors had not shown Mangione intended to intimidate health-insurance workers or influence government policy.

• Luigi Mangione in court as defence challenges key evidence in murder case

Several of Mangione’s supporters stood outside the courthouse before the hearing, including a person dressed as the villain from Super Mario Bros. holding a sign reading, “When patients die, profits rise,” and a woman wearing a “Free Luigi” sash.

No trial dates have been set in either the state or federal cases. Mangione remains in federal custody in Brooklyn.

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Politics Luigi Mangione UnitedHealthcare UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting Brian Thompson court Trial