Attorney General Pam Bondi has instructed prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with ‘murder as an act of terrorism’ in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, in late 2024.

Death Penalty Action has collaborated with a few different groups who are working(from different angles) to uplift Luigi's case. Death Penalty Action's position is that he deserves a FAIR trial and that the federal government should abandon plans to charge him with a death-eligible offense.

In the days leading up to Luigi's 9/16 hearing in NY State Court, we partnered with Luigi's Legal Fund Bookshop - a group working to raise funds for Luigi's defense through a platform that allows folks to purchase books - simultaneously supporting independent booksellers AND his legal defense fund. With the help of DPA supporters, we curated a 14-book list featuring essential works that illuminate the fight to stop executions and abolish the death penalty through advocacy, education, and action. From firsthand accounts by death row exonerees to critical analyses of execution methods, these books provide crucial context for understanding the ongoing struggle for abolition.

For World Day Against the Death Penalty(10/10), we partnered with The Luigi Case Files - a group advocating for Luigi's right to a fair trial and breaking down key elements of the case - to produce a Substack blog post that sought to contextualize Luigi's situation within the larger death penalty landscape in the US - with particular emphasis on the federal government. We invite you to read it here - and share widely!

Luigi was back in New York State court on September 16. His attorneys asked a NY federal judge to dismiss the only charge that could result in the death penalty. He is still facing a possible federal death sentence if the DOJ goes through with their intention to charge him with murder as an act of terrorism in the federal system.

Contrary to this administration's intent to expand the use of the death penalty for the so-called purpose of obtaining "justice for victims" and ensuring "public safety", we know that the death penalty does NOT provide either.  Just in recent months, another individual who many would classify as "the worst of the worst", who killed multiple people in a mass shooting, was appropriately punished without the death penalty. Meanwhile, they are seeking death for Luigi Mangione.

IT WAS NEVER ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY OR VICTIMS.

This is yet another disturbing reminder that our society values certain lives more than others. While we do not condone the murder of Brian Thompson, his life did not matter more than the lives of regular people who were simply out "shopping while Brown." (The Walmart shooter had racist motivations and drove some distance to a place where he knew he could “shoot as many Mexicans as possible.”)

Seeking the death penalty for Luigi Mangione will perpetuate unnecessary cycles of violence and inflict preventable trauma on the many individuals close to the situation.