BREAKING: US prosecutors to seek death penalty for Luigi Mangione

BREAKING: The man accused of assassinating UnitedHealth Care chief executive Brian Thompson could face the death penalty if prosecuted at the White House’s request.

Luigi Mangione - who has gone viral on social media after being dubbed the “hot assassin” - allegedly shot Mr Thompson dead outside a Hilton Hotel, in Manhattan, on December 4 2024.

The 26-year-old then fled New York on a bus, before being found by authorities at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania days after the incident took place.

Mangione was then hit with federal charges on December 19, 2024.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi, on Tuesday, confirmed the US Government's Department of Justice had been instructed to seek the death penalty. Ms Bondi labelled Mangione's actions as “an act of political violence” that was "premeditated (and) cold-blooded".

“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," Ms Bondi said.

The decision has been condemned by Mangione's lawyer, Karen Agnifilo, who labelled the decision "barbaric".

“By seeking to murder Luigi Mangione, the Justice Department has moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric. Their decision to execute Luigi is political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent. While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the premeditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi,” Ms Agnifilo said in a statement.