Pam Bondi, former U.S. Attorney General, announced on the 1st (local time) that she instructed prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Luigi Manzoni, who has been indicted for the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of the health insurance company UnitedHealthcare.
In a statement released that day, Attorney General Bondi said, "Manzoni's act of killing Thompson, a father of two young children and an innocent man, was a premeditated and cold-blooded assassination that shocked the entire United States," adding, "After careful consideration, as part of implementing President Donald Trump's policy to eradicate violent crime and make America safe again, I directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case."
AP News explained that this follows President Trump's campaign promise to strongly pursue the death penalty.
Bondi also stated that Manzoni's act was "an act of political violence," noting that he planned the crime in advance and that the murder took place in a public location where additional harm could have occurred.
Earlier, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office in New York indicted Manzoni in December last year on charges including first-degree murder for terrorist purposes and illegal possession of a weapon.
Manzoni is accused of killing CEO Thompson on December 4 last year on a street in front of the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, New York, using a pistol equipped with a silencer. Separate from the federal prosecution, he has also been charged with similar offenses by the New York State prosecutor and is being tried simultaneously.
Health insurance companies in the U.S., including UnitedHealthcare, often prioritize profits and frequently delay or deny insurance payouts. Following the incident, voices supporting Manzoni's actions and calling for health insurance reform have grown louder across the United States.
Shortly after the incident, Manzoni graduated as valedictorian from a private high school in Baltimore, Maryland, and it was reported that he earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in computer engineering from the prestigious Ivy League University of Pennsylvania, drawing public attention.
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