Luigi Mangione ‘considered bombing Manhattan’ but decided against it because it ‘could kill innocents’ and chose ‘targeted shooting’ instead

Luigi Mangione allegedly considered bombing Manhattan but decided against it because it “could kill innocents,” choosing a targeted shooting instead.

The 26-year-old shooter appeared in court on Tuesday, fighting against extradition to New York where he is charged with second-degreee murder.

This came after he shot Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, last Wednesday, before being on the run until his capture on Monday.

He was detained at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where police found him carrying a 3D-printed pistol and black silencer as well as an eerie manifesto condemning the American healthcare system.

CNN reported that Mangione also had a notebook in which he had written a “to-do list” ahead of the murder.

In it, he allegedly wrote about using a bomb to kill the CEO, but decided against it because it could kill innocent people.

He ultimately determined a shooting would be more targeted, and wrote that it couldn’t get any better than “to kill the CEO at his own bean-counting conference,” as Thompson was about to disclose the financial gains the company made this year.

It has been reported that law enforcement and investigators will view that sentence as a confession.

Mangione is expected to plead not guilty to both the gun possession charges in Pennsylvania and the murder charge in New York.

His lawyer Tom Dickey told reporters at a press conference that there is no evidence to suggest Mangione is the shooter.

He said: “I haven’t seen any evidence that says he’s the shooter. The fundamental concept of American justice is a presumption of innocence until you’re proven guilty.”

His comments came after a dramatic court hearing that ended after Mangione was escorted out of the courtroom.

The suspect had a public meltdown on Tuesday and had to be restrained as he shouted at law enforcement while going into his hearing.

He yelled: “This is completely unjust and an insult to the American people.”

Authorities have said Mangione’s three-page manifesto – in which he spoke negatively about the American healthcare system – is being investigated.

In the document, the 26-year-old allegedly wrote about the huge size of UnitedHealthcare and how much it makes, condemning health insurance companies for prioritising profits over care.