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.
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.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said...
Georgia could gain a direct electricity link to Europe under plans for a new overland energy corridor connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye ...
Türkiye has unveiled plans for joint military exercises and defence production with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan under a new security pact that i...
Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt air travel, following hundreds of cancellations and diversions over the past week.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or rerouted at Catania Airport over the past week as ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption continues to disrupt air travel in Sicily.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
Iran and Afghanistan are seeking closer cooperation in agriculture, livestock and irrigation during a three-day Iranian ministerial visit to Kabul, as both sides look to strengthen trade and rural economies.
At least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured in Ukraine in July, according to UN investigators, marking the highest monthly civilian casualty toll since March 2022.
Record rainfall in Japan killed eight people and stranded thousands of travellers at Tokyo's Narita Airport on Friday, as flooding disrupted transport and cut power to 20,000 homes.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 14th of August, covering the latest developments.
Ukraine’s attacks on Russian ports, refineries and shipping infrastructure are putting Moscow’s energy exports under growing pressure and disrupting key trade routes, raising concerns over commercial shipping and global food supplies.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment