Luigi Mangione has been indicted on charges of killing as an act of terrorism, after prosecutors upgraded the complaint against him.
Prosecutors in New York on Tuesday said they had upgraded the charges against Mr Mangione, 26, because he is accused of killing Brian Thompson “in furtherance of an act of terrorism”.
Mr Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was gunned down on a busy New York street on Dec 4, prompting a national manhunt for his killer.
Mr Mangione, an Ivy League graduate, was arrested days later after he was recognised from police handout photographs in a branch of McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.
New York police officials have said Mr Mangione was carrying the gun used in Thompson’s killing, a passport and various fake IDs, including the one that the suspected shooter presented to check into a New York hostel.
He was originally charged with second degree murder, which is the charge usually used in murder cases in New York state, unless there is a significant aggravating factor.
His lawyer suggested he is likely to plead not guilty to the charges.
However, on Tuesday, New York prosecutors unveiled a more significant charge of first-degree murder, in furtherance of an act of terrorism.
Police have said Mr Mangione was found with a handwritten manifesto that expressed grievances against “corporate America”.
It has been speculated Thompson was the victim of a targeted assassination motivated by his work at UnitedHealthcare, one of the biggest healthcare insurers in the US.
Mr Mangione suffered a back complaint and was disillusioned with the healthcare industry, friends have said.
Mr Mangione was indicted on 11 counts, including first-degree murder and murder as a crime of terrorism.
The indictment accused Mr Mangione of murdering Mr Thompson with the intent to “influence the policy of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion”.
“This type of premeditated, targeted gun violence cannot and will not be tolerated,” said Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan District Attorney.
“Luigi Mangione, the defendant, is charged with one count of murder in the first degree and two counts of murder in the second degree, including one count of murder in the second degree as an act of terrorism.”
More to follow