United Healthcare assassin Luigi Mangione faces death penalty in major legal update on case

Luigi Mangione could now face the if he is convicted of United Healthcare CEO . The 26-year-old is facing a raft of federal charges, including murder through use of a firearm, which makes him eligible for capital punishment.

Federal prosecutors in the have confirmed they submitted a formal notice that they intend to seek the death penalty for if he is found guilty. He has previously pleaded not guilty. He is due to appear in a Manhattan federal court on Friday for his arraignment in - the city where the healthcare boss was shot on the street.

Mangione is expected to plead not guilty when he shows up in court today, but the shock formal notice was filed by prosecutors just hours before his appearance. The filing said the death penalty was being sought as Mangione "presents a future danger because he expressed an intent to target an entire industry, and rally political and social opposition to that industry".

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Prosecutors added: "[He engaged] in an act of lethal violence and he took steps to evade law enforcement, flee New York City immediately after the murder and cross state lines while armed with a privately manufactured firearm and silencer."

This comes after Attorney General, earlier this month, directed federal prosecutors to pursue capital punishment for Mangione. In a statement she said: "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.

"After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump's agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again."

This "notice of intent to seek the death penalty" in the government's formal step to inform the courts of their decision and explain their reasons. The notice of intent also he could deserve capital punishment because of "the impact of the victim's death upon his family, friends and co-workers".

The brazen killing of Thompson outside a hotel in the heart of New York City shocked the country and led to a massive five-day manhunt that ended 230 miles away in Pennsylvania. was arrested after a tip suggested he was dining at a McDonald’s hundreds of miles away in the small town of Altoona - following a widely circulated CCTV grab.

Shocking CCTV footage caught the shooting and stunned the public as it appeared to show a seeming premeditated and pre-planned orchestration. Mangione - who comes from a wealthy family in Baltimore - was detained by armed police who found a silencer, a mask, fake IDs and three pages of writings critical of the health insurance industry.

He also had on him the fake New Jersey ID the suspect used to check into a Manhattan hostel before the killing. His arrest and charges have divided many Americans with some people even to Mangione's defence fund.

The fundraiser has accumulated over a staggering $948,000 (£713,000) to date, with a huge single donation of $36,500 sent just last month. The nameless benefactor beat the previous highest donation of $30,000 and said they was inspired by the support that Mangione had received following the shocking murder.

The benefactor wrote: "What intrigues me about this case is how unified folks’ responses are regardless of strata. In Corporate America, for instance, there has been widespread doubt of potential prosecutorial mishandling and overcharging. I've also been surprised at the almost ubiquitous nature of support towards the suspect that I would expect to be quite bifurcated in this type of litigation. Quite exceptional."