Overview
- Three self-identified supporters of Luigi Mangione wearing New York City press passes praised the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan courthouse on Monday, according to videos and news reports.
- The individuals were identified as Abril Rios, Ashley Rojas, and Lena Weissbrot, and their on-camera remarks included crude attacks on Thompson and claims that his children were better off without him.
- The city issued their credentials through an “indie creator” pathway that, per reporting, can be met by posting at least six pieces of content about a breaking event, a low bar critics say legitimizes partisan actors.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office said it is reassessing credential standards, and the mayor stopped short of pledging to revoke the passes as the review proceeds.
- Mangione has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the December 2024 Midtown shooting, and his attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said the supporters do not speak for him and called their comments vile and irresponsible.