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Luigi Mangione is fighting to be sent back to prison to face the charge of first degree murder

Watch: Luigi Mangione yells at reporters as they are taken to court

The man accused of shooting and killing health insurance executive Brian Thompson in New York met with police and yelled at reporters during his arraignment Tuesday, as more information emerged about the motive for his killing.

Luigi Mangione appeared in a Pennsylvania trial court. His lawyer said the 26-year-old suspect will run for extradition to New York to face murder charges.

“He denies those charges,” said the lawyer. “I have not seen any evidence that he is the shooter.”

Different US states have different laws and judicial systems, so there is a process involved in transferring refugees, which can take days or weeks.

Dressed in an orange jumpsuit, Mr Mangione attempted to speak to reporters as he arrived in court. He was heard shouting “absolutely unfair” and “insulting the intelligence of the American people” before being taken to court by police.

Mr. Mangione was arrested on Monday after being spotted at a McDonald’s branch in Pennsylvania, after a day-long manhunt that spanned several counties. It is said that he was found with a gun similar to a murder weapon, a silencer and the identity of a forger.

Three handwritten pages are said to be in his possession. The New York police said they are taking this as a claim to kill Mr. Thompson, as they seem to be recording frustration with the American health care system.

A UnitedHealthcare executive, 50, was shot by a masked man outside a Manhattan hotel in what authorities called a targeted attack.

Mr Mangione was denied bail for a second time on Tuesday, after prosecutors said he was too dangerous to be released.

The judge then gave prosecutors 30 days to seek a warrant from New York Governor Kathy Hochul to ensure his extradition.

Hochul later said he would provide one. “I am working with the District Attorney’s Office and I will sign a request for a government warrant to ensure that this person is tried and held accountable,” he said.

Defense attorneys also have a two-week window in which to file motions to have Mr. Mangione moved to New York. The challenge was described by a Pennsylvania prosecutor as creating “a lot of hoops… to jump through”.

Mr. Mangione looked around the rows of reporters in the courtroom and smiled at times. At one point, he interrupted his lawyer, who quickly silenced him.

After the trial on Tuesday afternoon, that lawyer, Thomas Dickey, spoke to reporters outside the courtroom. “You cannot rush to judgment in this case or any case,” he said. “He is considered innocent. We can’t forget that.”

Mr. Mangione has been charged with several crimes in Pennsylvania, including providing police with forged documents and possession of an illegal firearm. He is being held at a Pennsylvania state prison and will plead not guilty.

In New York, he is facing various charges including murdering Mr. Thompson on December 4th.

A customer tells the story of seeing the CEO’s murder suspect

Mr Thompson was appointed CEO of the company, the largest private insurer in the US, in April 2021.

He had received threats before his death regarding health care, according to his widow, Paulette Thompson, but the cause of his death was not raised by prosecutors.

On Tuesday, as police sifted through evidence and tried to piece together Mr. Mangione’s movements after the shooting, more details emerged about his complaints to the health insurance industry.

New York Police Department Detective Chief Joseph Kenny told Good Morning America that he read a three-page handwritten note allegedly found on the suspect when he was arrested.

“He shows that he is frustrated with the health care system in the United States,” she said. “He wrote a lot about his disdain for corporate America and especially the health care industry.”

The paper, which has been seen by several American media outlets, is reported to refer to “parasites” that are “viral”. It is said that he also writes that he did it alone.

EPA photo shows Brian ThompsonEPA

Brian Thompson was shot and killed on December 4 when he entered a hotel where the company he led was holding an investor meeting.

Ex-friends who spoke to the BBC said that Mr Mangione had suffered serious back injuries. They said he left the Hawaiian community in the summer of 2023 for spinal surgery.

RJ Martin, who lived with the suspect in Hawaii, said the injury “prevents him, at times, from doing a lot of normal things”.

Various details about Mr Mangione’s background have emerged since his arrest. He was born in Maryland, to a wealthy, well-known family, and police say he has ties to San Francisco, California. His last known address was Honolulu, Hawaii.

He attended the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League college, where he received a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in software engineering.

Local media reported that Mr Mangione’s mother reported him missing last month, telling authorities in San Francisco that she had not heard from her son since July.

“Our family is shocked and saddened by Luigi’s arrest,” said Mr. Mangione’s family in a statement posted by his cousin on social media. “We’re praying for Brian Thompson’s family and we’re asking people to pray for everyone involved.”

With additional reporting from Nada Tawfik

Watch: NY shooting suspect ‘not a hero’, says Pennsylvania governor


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