BREAKING NEWS Luigi Mangione is indicted on federal charges over UnitedHealthcare CEOs murder

Luigi Mangione was indicted Thursday on a federal murder charge in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a necessary step for prosecutors to seek the death penalty.

The indictment returned by a grand jury in Manhattan federal court also charges Mangione with two counts of stalking and a firearms count.

It was not immediately clear when the 26-year-old Mangione will be arraigned. A message seeking comment was left for a spokesperson for his lawyers.

Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, also faces separate state murder charges. 

Hes accused of shooting Thompson, 50, in the back outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4 as the executive arrived for UnitedHealthcare´s annual investor conference.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced this month that she had directed federal prosecutors in Manhattan to seek the death penalty, following through on the president´s campaign promise to vigorously pursue capital punishment.

Bondi said in a statement that her office would push for the ultimate punishment, describing Thompsons assassination in December as 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 Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again, Bondi said. 

Luigi Mangione (pictured) was indicted Thursday on a federal murder charge

Mangione could now face the death penalty for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (pictured)

Its the first death penalty case sought by the Justice Department since President Donald Trump returned to office in January with a vow to resume federal executions after they were halted under the previous administration. 

The killing and ensuing five-day manhunt leading to Mangione´s arrest rattled the business community, with some health insurers hastily switching to remote work or online shareholder meetings. 

It also galvanized health insurance critics - some of whom have rallied around Mangione as a stand-in for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty medical bills. 

His fans range from those who think hes innocent, to those who believe hes guilty and love him for it.

Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind. Police say the words delay, deny and depose were scrawled on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase commonly used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Mangione was arrested in a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania after a multi-day manhunt for the suspect. 

He denied the charges and pleaded not guilty to state murder and terror charges on December 23 for the killing of Thompson. 

Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Marc Agnifilo, and Jacob Kaplan are representing Mangione.

Because his appearance is in federal court, photography and video footage is strictly prohibited. (Pictured: Star-struck fans outside the courthouse in February) 

Agnifilo was met with a resounding applause from Mangiones supporters when she entered the courtroom two months ago. 

She argued that her clients constitutional rights may have been violated when officers arrested him and seized his belongings. 

Mangione remains behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, and is housed in the same unit as other famous faces including Sean Diddy Combs.

A legal donation fund that was created soon after Mangione was arrested has since amassed more than $900,000 - nearly reaching its goal of $1 million. 

In March he received a massive donation of $36,5000 from an anonymous donor who left an enigmatic message. 

What intrigues me about this case is how unified folks responses are regardless of strata, the mystery donor said.

In Corporate America, for instance, there has been widespread doubt of potential prosecutorial mishandling and overcharging.

Ive 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.