Alleged gunman faces nine charges including second-degree murder in New York state case

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uigi Mangione is appeared in Manhattan state court on Monday for the first day of a potentially weeklong proceeding to weigh the legality of evidence gathered during his arrest at a McDonald’s restaurant after the killing of a prominent healthcare executive.

Mangione was apprehended last December in the murder of senior United HealthCare figure Brian Thompson last December. In addition to state-level charges, he faces a Manhattan federal court case.

Thompson’s brutal slaying on the streets of New York city triggered an intense manhunt for the killer, but also sparked an outpouring of anger at the practices of the US for-profit healthcare industry. Since his arrest Mangione has attracted some enthusiastic supporters, both online and at his court appearances.

Mangione entered the courtroom wearing a slate suit with a white-and-red tattersall plaid shirt. When Mangione entered the room, he was cuffed, but the restraints were taken off shortly after he sat down.

The accused killer has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him. Mangione’s appearance comes just over two months after he landed a major legal victory in his state case.

Evidence presented during the proceeding provided insight into how Mangione attracted attention at the Pennsylvania McDonald’s restaurant where he was arrested. The revelation came during testimony from Emily States, a 911 coordinator in Blair county, Pennsylvania.

Mangione’s legal team has repeatedly pushed for the exclusion of evidence gathered during his arrest at an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s restaurant on 9 December 2024. They have claimed that police, who came to the fast-food eatery based on an anonymous tip, did not immediately apprise Mangione of his constitutional rights.

States was asked about how emergency calls are recorded. The prosecution then played a call from the McDonald’s manager to 911.

On the recording the manager told dispatch that there was a diner “some other customers were suspicious” of because, they said, he looked like the “CEO shooter”.

“They’re just really upset,” the manager told 911. “I can’t approach him, ya know.”

This manager said that he was sitting by the bathroom and was wearing a black jacket, tan beanie and blue medical mask.

“I was like, I can’t really do anything,” the manager recounted of what she told patrons who flagged Mangione. The manager was pressed for a description but noted that he was wearing a medical mask.

The manager said the only thing she could see was “his eyebrows” and provided otherwise general details on his appearance, saying he looked mid-weight but that it was hard to tell on account of his hoodie.

In addition to the 911 dispatcher, other witnesses included a New York city police member on the department’s public relations team as well as Bernard Pyles, a man who had supervised installation of security cameras at the McDonald’s.

New York police department Sgt Christopher McLaughlin, who works in the agency’s PR arm, was questioned on processes surrounding authorities’ dissemination of information about crimes. McLaughlin was shown various photos and social media posts that were shared about the shooting, as well as images from Fox News coverage.

Surveillance video showing Mangione allegedly shooting Thompson, as he walked down the sidewalk, was played in court. When the shooting started, another person near this gun play could be seen ducking into a building.

When Pyles took the stand, the court was shown surveillance footage from Mangione’s encounter with police at the McDonald’s. A McDonald’s employee could be seen taking what was either a broom or mop from a closet while police confronted Mangione, and then returning it to the closet.

On 16 September judge Gregory Carro threw out the two top state charges against him – first-degree murder and second-degree murder, both of which prosecutors had contended were terrorism crimes. Carro said “the evidence put forth was legally insufficient” for those terrorism-related charges.

Mangione still faces nine counts in his state case, including second-degree murder. The sentence for second-degree murder in New York spans from 25 years to life in prison.

Mangione’s lawyers have argued that because he was not apprised of his rights, his statements to police should not be permitted in court. They also argue that evidence taken during his arrest should be barred, saying they conducted a “warrantless search” of Mangione’s backpack.

More than two dozen witnesses could testify at the proceedings that start this week, to answer questions about how his arrest unfolded and evidence collected. The potential witnesses include police involved in Mangione’s case.

While there were fewer admirers in attendance than at past proceedings, and a seeming lack of date night-style attire that had become de rigueur among some supporters, they were as energized as ever.

In the women’s restroom, Mangione’s supporters chatted among themselves about this proceeding. One, who sported a satiny sash emblazoned with “Luigi” in green, appeared to commiserate with another supporter about not being permitted to wear the prom-queen evoking accessory.

Other accoutrements were more straightforward. One supporter wore a shirt stating: “11 minutes of missing body camera footage.”