A Massachusetts man was arrested after he traveled to Washington, D.C., with the intent to kill prominent GOP leaders, citing a disturbing influence: Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
Ryan Michael English, who goes by Riley English, was apprehended on weapons charges near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 27. The 24-year-old from South Deerfield, Massachusetts, appeared in court on Thursday, where he did not contest his pretrial detention, according to court documents.
Plan Inspired by Luigi Mangione
English, a self-described activist, reportedly told investigators that he was "on a mission" and had been planning his attack for some time, largely inspired by Mangione. He admitted to having deeply contemplated the idea of violence, even referencing Mangione’s case in a chilling manner: "I pushed that away because I was thinking like that is so stupid, that accomplishes nothing, that poor kid just threw his life away for like a minute of vengeance."
Targeted High-Profile Politicians
Authorities say English traveled to the Capitol, hoping to target high-profile figures, including billionaire Scott Bessent. Bessent, a former adviser to George Soros, was confirmed as Treasury Secretary the same day English arrived in Washington. The activist also expressed plans to attack other Republicans, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson. He even considered burning down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
When arrested, police secured a folding knife, two homemade firebombs, and a lighter in English's possession. English claimed to be terminally ill and expressed a desire to "do something before I go."
Prosecutors have described English’s actions as premeditated and calculated, emphasizing that his plan was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather one that had been carefully thought out.
In defense, English’s lawyer, Maria Jacob, argued that her client’s actions were a "cry for help" and insisted that he never intended to harm anyone. Jacob claimed that English was non-aggressive when approaching police officers and cooperated fully, even helping to retrieve the items from his person.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
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