New York City’s police commissioner delivered a stern message to fans of Luigi Mangione following the killer’s guilty plea to causing the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.“To those who idolize Mangione—violence is not a cause, murder is not a message, and a killer is not a hero,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in an Aug. 14 statement.

The statement was seemingly directed at the so-called “Mangionistas” who championed Mangione, made harsh public comments about Thompson and openly mulled attempting to tamper with the jury that would decide the 28-year-old’s fate prior to Friday’s plea.

The Dec. 4, 2024 assassination of Thompson, a leader of one of America’s largest health insurance companies, led to a polarized public response, with many justifying the killer’s actions due to dissatisfaction with the U.S.’s for-profit healthcare system. A poll that same month by Emerson College found that 41% of Americans age 18-29 considered the killer’s actions “acceptable.”

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Mangione pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to one count of interstate stalking resulting in death and one count of stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death.

During his allocution, Mangione said he had experienced years of debilitating back pain and trouble navigating the complexities of the health insurance system. He said he had emailed UnitedHealthcare posing as an investor to get information about the conference where Thompson was heading when he was shot — and got a much faster response than he ever did as a patient.

“Luigi Mangione carried out a ruthless act of violence that shocked this city, and today’s guilty plea is an important moment of accountability for this heinous crime,” Tisch added.

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Federal prosecutors said outside the courthouse they still intend to seek life imprisonment for Mangione, The New York Times reported. However, federal Judge Margaret Garnett said from the bench that the sentencing guidelines laid out by prosecutors would put Mangione behind bars for 292 to 365 months — approximately 24 to 30 years.

Immediately following the plea, Mangione’s lawyers filed motions in New York State court, where Mangione is charged with murder and is set to go on trial on Sept. 8, seeking to dismiss the charges against him due to double jeopardy. He has pleaded not guilty in state court.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said New York State is “prepared to litigate the defense motions.”

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Mangione remains in pretrial lockup at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

Sources: https://people.com/nypd-commissioners-message-to-luigi-mangione-fans-12060462