Luigi Mangione ‘Grateful’ for Support in First Statement After Alleged CEO Murder

Luigi Mangione says he is “grateful” for the support he’s received after being charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

In a first public statement shared on a new website set up by his legal defense team on Friday, Feb. 14, Mangione, 26, wrote, “I am overwhelmed by — and grateful for — everyone who has written me to share their stories and express their support.”

“Powerfully, this support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions, as mail has flooded MDC [the Metropolitan Detention Center, where he is currently behind bars] from across the country, and around the globe,” he continued.

“While it is impossible for me to reply to most letters, please know that I read every one that I receive,” added Mangione. “Thank you again to everyone who took the time to write. I look forward to hearing more in the future.”

Mangione’s legal team said in a statement on the website that the page was created “to provide answers to frequently asked questions, accurate information about his cases, and dispel misinformation.” 

“The intent is to share factual information regarding the unprecedented, multiple prosecutions against him,” they added. 

Mangione’s statement was shared ahead of his next court date, which is scheduled to take place on Friday, Feb. 21.

He previously pleaded not guilty to federal murder charges in late December, after Thompson was fatally shot on Dec. 4. Mangione is currently being held in Brooklyn, at the same jail where Sean “Diddy” Combs is also serving time.

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Earlier this week, Mangione accepted $297,000 in donations to cover his legal bills from the December 4 Legal Committee, which is stewarding a fundraiser on GiveSendGo for his legal defense, according to a post shared by the group. (A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to PEOPLE that the post was genuine.)

The committee — named after the death date of Thompson — said the donations were offered by over 10,000 individual supporters.

Mangione’s lead attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, told the committee that Mangione “very much appreciates the outpouring of support.”

Mangione was detained in Altoona, Pa. on Dec. 9, after a tipster called the police at a local McDonald’s. 

His federal murder charges could land him the death penalty, and he also faces state murder charges that accuse him of committing an act of terrorism. (Mangione has also pleaded not guilty to the state charges.)