US seeks death penalty for accused killer of insurance CEO

WASHINGTON, United States — US Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday asked federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, who allegedly gunned down an American health care CEO in a brazen attack.

"Luigi Mangione's murder of Brian Thompson -- an innocent man and father of two young children -- was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America," Bondi said in a statement.

"After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case."

The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Thompson brought to the surface deep public frustration with the lucrative US commercial health care system, with many social media users painting Mangione as a hero.

Bondi called the murder "an act of political violence" that "may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons."

In response, Mangione's lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo accused the Justice Department of moving "from the dysfunctional to the barbaric."

Mangione has been charged in both New York state and US federal court. In the state case, Mangione has pleaded not guilty and could face life imprisonment with no parole if convicted.

Agnifilo said the call to execute Mangione is "political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law and historical precedent."

Early on December 4, Mangione allegedly tracked Thompson in New York, walked up behind him and fired several gunshots from a pistol with a silencer, federal prosecutors said. He had traveled to the city by bus from Atlanta about 10 days before the crime.

Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9 following a tip from staff at a McDonald's restaurant, after a days-long manhunt.

His lawyer has sought clarity on how simultaneous federal and state charges would work, calling the situation "highly unusual."