Mangione was already charged with murder in the killing of Thompson, but the indictment could expedite the process of him being extradited from Pennsylvania to New York to stand trial. Mangione was also indicted on charges of second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, among other charges.

The news follows Thompson’s death outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4. Footage of a man shooting Thompson, who led the country’s largest health insurance company, on a busy New York City street stunned the country. Five days after the shooting, authorities arrested Mangione as the prime suspect in the murder case at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, subsequently revealing they had recovered a handwritten document that indicated the 26-year-old gunman may have been motivated by a deep-seated animosity toward the health insurance industry.

The terrorism charge against Mangione is especially significant, as, under New York law, a first-degree murder charge may only be applied to a narrow list of circumstances. If the victim is not a judge, a police officer, or a first responder, or if the killing does not involve a murder-for-hire or an intent to commit terrorism, it is difficult to press first-degree murder charges.

The terrorist charge likely also implies that authorities are confident they have the evidence to prove Mangione plotted Thompson’s murder as an action with broader implications.

“This was a killing to invoke terror,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said. “This was not an ordinary killing, not to suggest that any killing is ordinary, but this was extraordinary, and the New York State Legislature has set out both the paths, both the murder one and murder two, and this, we allege, is squarely within those statutes which talk about intending to do exactly what we saw happen here.”

Mangione is currently being held without bail at the Huntingdon State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania. At the time of his arrest at an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s, the suspect was initially charged with gun and forgery offenses, none with any direct connection to the case in New York.

Prosecutors are fighting to extradite Mangione to New York, where the crime took place and where the most significant charges are. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) said she would file an extradition order as soon as the indictment was announced, according to NBC News.

A hearing into the matter is scheduled for Thursday, making it likely Mangione would be moved from Pennsylvania to New York after the court appearance if prosecutors are successful in making the case for extradition.

Mangione could face up to life in prison without parole if convicted on the murder charges, according to Bragg.

The suspect has denied the murder case being brought against him, pleading innocence and suggesting that he is being framed.