NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Luigi Mangione, accused of gunning down a health insurance executive, will return to court for a hearing on December 1, the state court judge in the case said on Tuesday.

Mangione appeared in court wearing a beige jumpsuit and shackles, flanked by armed police and court officers, stopping to smile and nod at a young woman in the front row as he was led out, AFP saw.

His appearance in a Manhattan courthouse is a reminder of the string of violence that has rocked the United States (US) in recent times, including the December 4 slaying of insurance executive Brian Thompson.

That has been followed by a number of other incidents, including the murder of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband, the firebombing of the Pennsylvania governor’s home and, most recently, the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

“I think we agree that hearings in this case will start December 1,” judge Gregory Carro said of hearings to discuss the handling of evidence in the case.

Fervent supporters of Mangione gathered both inside and outside court to show their backing for the 27-year-old whose alleged crimes have sharply divided Americans.

Thompson’s murder brought to the surface deep public frustration with the lucrative US commercial health care system, with some social media users painting Mangione as a hero.

He is charged in both state and federal court in the December 4 shooting of UnitedHealthCare chief executive Thompson.

– Insufficient evidence for ‘terrorism’ –

If convicted in the state case, Mangione could face life imprisonment with no parole. In the federal case, he could technically face the death penalty.

At Tuesday’s hearing, the judge said that the grand jury in the case had been presented with insufficient evidence to support the first-degree murder charges, and murder as an act of “terrorism” charge. The remaining counts still stand — including second-degree murder.

“The evidence put forward to the jury was legally insufficient” the judge said.

“As to the other counts evidence was sufficient — including murder in the second degree.”

One of the protesters, who were mostly young women, held up an Italian flag emblazoned with the words “healthcare is a human right.”

Mangione’s attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo has sought clarity on how simultaneous federal and state charges would work, calling the situation “highly unusual.”

Dozens of Mangione’s supporters chased his legal team along the street after they left court following the packed hearing.

Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9 following a tip from staff at a McDonald’s restaurant, after a days-long manhunt.

He had traveled to New York by bus from Atlanta about 10 days before the crime, the Department of Justice said.

After checking into a Manhattan hostel with false identification, he allegedly performed reconnaissance near the victim’s hotel and the conference venue where the shooting took place.

Early on December 4, Mangione allegedly tracked Thompson, walked up behind him and fired several gunshots from a pistol with a silencer, the DOJ said. Afterward, he is said to have fled on a bicycle.