NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione sought to "sow terror" by shooting dead UnitedHealth Group executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street in December, a New York prosecutor said on Dec 17 in announcing Mangione had been indicted for murder.

A grand jury indicted Mangione on 11 counts, including first-degree murder and murder as a crime of terrorism, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told reporters.

Mangione, 26, would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on all counts.

"This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation," Bragg told reporters. "The intent was to sow terror."

Mangione's defence lawyer in New York, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, declined to comment.

Ivy League-educated Mangione was charged with murder on Dec 9 for the killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel before a company conference, following a five-day manhunt.

Mangione is currently being held on gun charges in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested last week.

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