(Reuters) – Luigi Mangione, the suspect charged with murder in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, will now face federal charges that could result in the death penalty, New York Times (NYSE:) reported delayed on Wednesday.
It was not immediately clear what charges the suspect would face in the federal case, but they would be in addition to the murder charge in New York state, the report added, citing people familiar with the matter.
It said federal charges would potentially allow prosecutors to pursue the death penalty, which has been banned in New York for decades.
The U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the state case against him, Mangione, 26, faces 11 charges, including first-degree murder and murder classified as a terrorist crime.
He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of all of these charges.
Mangione, an Ivy League-educated man, was charged with murder on Dec. 9 in the killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel before a corporate conference after a five-day manhunt.
Thompson’s killing sparked an outpouring of anger among Americans struggling to receive and pay for health care.
According to friends and social media posts, Mangione suffered from chronic back pain that affected his daily life, although it is unclear whether his own health had a factor in the shooting.
