By News18,Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Copyright news18

The trial of Luigi Mangione, accused of gunning down an insurance industry executive, will start on December 1, the state court judge in the case said on Tuesday.
Mangione appeared in court wearing a beige jumpsuit and shackles, flanked by armed police and court officers, stopping to smile and nod at a young woman in the front row as he was led out, AFP saw.
His appearance in a Manhattan courthouse is a reminder of the string of political violence that has rocked the United States in recent times, including the December 4 slaying of insurance executive Brian Thompson.
That has been followed by a number of other incidents, including the murder of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband, the firebombing of the Pennsylvania governor’s home and, most recently, the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“I think we agree that hearings in this case will start December 1,” judge Gregory Carro said.
Fervent supporters of Mangione gathered both inside and outside court to show their backing for the 27-year-old whose alleged crimes have sharply divided Americans.
Thompson’s murder brought to the surface deep public frustration with the lucrative US commercial health care system, with many social media users painting Mangione as a hero.
He is charged in both state and federal court in the December 4 shooting of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Thompson.