U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors in New York to pursue the death penalty for the individual accused of fatally shooting a UnitedHealthcare executive last year.

Luigi Mangione, the accused, is facing federal charges including murder committed with the use of a firearm, which qualifies him for the death penalty. Prosecutors had not confirmed their intent to go for capital punishment, but Bondi announced the decision following President Trump’s reversal of President Biden’s 2021 moratorium on federal death penalties.

“After thorough evaluation, I have instructed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as part of implementing President Trump’s plan to curb violent crime and ensure American safety,” she stated in an announcement.

READ: Arresting Cops Gave Luigi Mangione a Snack To Get His DNA After Illegal Search, Lawyers Say

Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in Manhattan, New York, on December 4. Thompson was attending his company’s annual investor meeting when he was killed.

On the federal level, Mangione is charged in New York with murder through the use of a firearm, stalking, and a firearms offense. On the state level, he faces firearm charges in Pennsylvania.  In New York, he faces state charges of first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism, second-degree murder as an act of terrorism, and criminal possession of a weapon.

Authorities said fingerprints recovered from a water bottle and a KIND snack bar at the scene matched Mangione’s prints.

In addition to allegedly having a gun with a silencer and fake IDs, authorities said Mangione also had a 262-word “manifesto” that decried the healthcare industry as “parasites.” Shortly after Mangione’s arrest, New York officials held a press coverage in which they hinted at the motive in Thompson’s murder. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione, a data engineer with a master’s from the University of Pennsylvania, “has some ill will towards corporate America.”

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the state charges against him. A plea has not been entered in the federal case.

This story is developing.

[Feature Photo: AP Photo/Pamela Smith]