New York City Mayor Eric Adams explained why he chose to accompany Luigi Mangione, the suspected shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, on his perp walk after he was extradited to the Big Apple.
During a Thursday interview, the mayor indicated that he wanted to send a message to the alleged killer face to face. When asked about this move, he explained that he had been at a conference with CEOs of high-profile companies like IBM, Deloitte, and others. “It was a room full of CEOs and governmental officials,” he said. “And the shooting, the intentional shooting and the response after really traumatized the entire industry, not only the CEOs, but the employees.”
Adams continued, explaining that he “wanted to send a strong message with the police commissioner that we’re leading from the front.”
I'm not going to just allow him to come into our city. I wanted to look him in the eye and stated that you carried out this Terrorist Act in my city, the city that the people of New York love. And I wanted to be there to show the symbolism of that.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams on his decision to escort Luigi Mangione in Manhattan:
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) December 20, 2024
“I’m not going to just allow him into the city. I wanted to look him in the eye and say you carried out this terroristic act in my city, the city that the people of New York love” pic.twitter.com/lJOcNheueF
Mangione is suspected of carrying out the December 4th murder. He was later apprehended in Pennsylvania. On Wednesday, he was extradited to New York to face state and federal charges, including first-degree murder, terrorism-related counts, and firearms offenses.
Federal prosecutors announced that the charges could make Mangione eligible for the death penalty. The state charges could lead to life imprisonment without parole.
Thompson was shot multiple times early in the morning outside of a Hilton hotel. The suspect allegedly used a 3D-printed firearm. Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona and was found with the weapon, $8,000 in cash, and four fake IDs.
The incident received a disturbing outpouring of support from people on social media. When the suspect showed up at the Pennsylvania courthouse for his extradition hearing, protesters stood outside holding signs expressing support for Mangione.
A manifesto found in Mangione’s possession reportedly detailed a series of grievances against healthcare corporations. He allegedly referred to industry executives as “parasites” and said they “simply had it coming.”
The suspect was frustrated with the high cost of healthcare and blamed corporate greed for preventing people from obtaining the medical care they need.
To the Feds, I'll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn't working with anyone.
This was fairly trivial: some elementary social engineering, basic CAD, a lot of patience. The spiral notebook, if present, has some straggling notes and To Do lists that illuminate the gist of it.
My tech is pretty locked down because I work in engineering so probably not much info there. I do apologize for any strife of traumas but it had to be done.
Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming. A reminder: the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy. United is the [indecipherable] largest company in the US by market cap, behind only Apple, Google, Walmart.
It has grown and grown, but as our life expectancy? No the reality is, these [indecipherable] have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allwed [sic] them to get away with it.
Obviously the problem is more complex, but I do not have space, and frankly I do not pretend to be the most qualified person to lay out the full argument. But many have illuminated the corruption and greed (e.g.: Rosenthal, Moore), decades ago and the problems simply remain
It is not an issue of awareness at this point, but clearly power games at play. Evidently I am the first to face it with such brutal honesty.”
BREAKING: Luigi Mangione Manifesto Released
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 10, 2024
"Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming." pic.twitter.com/oC4f9pd9Gy
The shooting has prompted national conversations about the state of American healthcare, an issue that has not been as prominent in the media as others. Despite condemning the suspect’s actions, many have acknowledged that the system has serious flaws.
Mangione’s next court appearance is scheduled for January 18, 2025, where he will be arraigned on state charges. The state and federal cases are expected to proceed at the same time.