Luigi Mangione was charged with murder in an act of terrorism on Tuesday after prosecutors in New York upgraded the charges against him.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told reporters that a grand jury indicted Mangione on 11 charges, including first-degree murder and murder as a crime of terrorism.
Mangione, 26, could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on all charges.
The count in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was announced as prosecutors took Mangione from a Pennsylvania prison to a New York courtroom.
As more details are released about Mangione and his recent past, Bragg said Thompson's death was “a murder intended to evoke fear.”
Mangione had already been charged with murder in the Dec. 4 killing of Brian Thompson, but the terrorism charges are new.
Mr. Bragg told a news conference that Mr. Thompson's death on the streets of midtown Manhattan was a “well-planned, gruesome murder designed to shock, attention and intimidation.”
“It occurred in one of the busiest areas of our city and threatened the safety of local residents and tourists, commuters and just-starting businessmen alike.”
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Mr. Mangione's New York lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, declined to comment.
