Supporters of Luigi Mangione celebrated outside court Tuesday after a New York state judge dismissed terrorism charges against the 27-year-old, characterizing the development as “fantastic news” for the accused murderer.
Abril Rios, 26, said she arrived early Monday outside Manhattan Criminal Court to show her support for Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges in the December 4 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, as he arrived for an investor’s conference in Midtown.
“Fantastic news,” Rios told Newsweek of Judge Gregory Carro’s decision to drop terrorism charges against Mangione. “We were waiting for it. It’s been a long time coming, so I couldn’t be happier.”
Rios, who wore a “Free Luigi” T-shirt, said Mangione looked different than he previously did in prior court appearances.
“It’s always sobering to see him in person,” she said. “It’s so different from images. You really see the paleness, the cracks, dehydration. It’s sad to see him like that. I wish he were getting more sun obviously, but I’m sure he’s feeling happy after today.”
Rios, of New Jersey, said she doesn’t condone violence but supports Mangione, stressing he has yet to be proven guilty in state or federal court.
Asked by Newsweek why she feels that way about a man authorities say killed a stranger in cold blood, Rios said she felt a common bond.
“I am Gen Z and I think a lot of us feel left behind,” she told Newsweek. “We’re not seen and no one cares. We’re kind of being pushed down. The ceiling is always being risen and we can’t reach it.”
Despite being a college graduate and working since she was a teen, Rios feels unfulfilled, she said.
“I’ve got a master’s degree and 10 years of work experience and yet it feels I’m not at the place I should be and I know a lot of my friends feel that way,” she said. “So, it’s not shocking he has a lot of support, especially within Gen Z.”
Rios added that last week’s assassination of Charlie Kirk by suspected gunman Tyler Robinson, 21, did not alter her opinion of Mangione.
“I think those cases really stand on their own,” she said. “They’re two different things, you know? One was an influencer who spoke on politics and one was a CEO of a healthcare company and I don’t think those two things are very comparable.”
An online fundraiser for Mangione’s legal expenses has eclipsed $1.2 million dollars as of early Tuesday.
Rios said she has written letters to Mangione, who remains held without bail at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He hasn’t replied “yet,” she said.
“Just stay strong,” Rios said when asked what she’d tell Mangione if given the opportunity. “You know, you have a lot of people supporting you. Not only that, you’ve changed so many lives — I’m out here, politically organizing, and I’ve got a lot more active in my community. I know the media wants to twist it and say we’re going to take up arms and do something crazy, but actually everyone I’ve met has had their lives changed in a completely positive way.”
Mangione, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania from a prominent Maryland family, has previously thanked supporters for sending him letters while locked up.
“Powerfully, this support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions, as mail has flooded MDC from across the country, and around the globe,” Mangione said in statement posted on a website maintained by his attorneys.
Due to the extraordinary volume of inquiries and outpouring of support, this site was created and is maintained by Luigi Mangione’s New York legal defense team to provide answers to frequently asked questions about the case.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in the ongoing federal against Mangione in April, characterizing Thompson’s killing as an act of political violence.
“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” Bondi said in a statement. “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.”
Federal prosecutors also believe Mangione inspired others to commit acts of violence, including the gunman responsible for killing four people during a mass shooting on July 28 at the NFL’s headquarters in Manhattan.
Authorities discovered the words “deny” and “depose” written on discharged shell casings at the scene of Thompson’s killing, while “delay” was inscribed on a bullet. The message allegedly left behind by Mangione is linked to criticism of the healthcare industry, prosecutors claim.
Political messages were also scrawled on bullets tied to the Kirk killing last week, according to the FBI, including the phrase, “Hey fascist! Catch!”
Angela Melendez, who lives outside Philadelphia, said she traveled to Manhattan Tuesday in support of constitutional rights. She believes police violated Mangione’s rights when he was taken into custody at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after Thompson’s shooting.
“Beautiful, perfect — should’ve never happened,” Melendez said of Carro’s decision to drop terrorism charges against Mangione. “They should’ve never given him that. He’s not a terrorist.”
Melendez, 27, said she hopes jurors will ultimately clear Mangione during his upcoming state and federal trials.
“Not guilty,” she told Newsweek. “But first and foremost, let him go back to Pennsylvania. He was illegally searched, seized and detained. They trapped him in a corner in the McDonald’s and they were interrogating him without telling him.”