Suspect nabbed in alleged plot to kill Bessent, Hegseth and Johnson, ‘inspired by Luigi Mangione’: prosecutors

Prosecutors say the suspect who was arrested at the U.S. Capitol last week in an alleged plot to kill House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was “influenced by Luigi Mangione.” 

The revelation was made in a Wednesday court filing by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. federal court in the case against Ryan Michael “Reily” English, also known as “Riley Jane English.” English walked up to a U.S. Capitol Police officer on Jan. 27 and allegedly stated, “I’d like to turn myself in,” according to initial charging documents. 

English claimed to have two Molotov cocktails and two knives and expressed being there “to kill Scott Bessent,” according to court documents. Federal prosecutors said English left home in Massachusetts and traveled to Washington with the intent of killing Hegseth, whom the suspect referred to as a “Nazi,” and Johnson, and burning down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank “two blocks from the White House.” 

Mangione rose to national recognition late last year when he was arrested for allegedly murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 in Manhattan.

Wednesday’s filing referred to English using she/her pronouns and argued why the suspect should not be released from custody. The filing cited a Jan. 27 in-custody interview with detectives. English allegedly claimed to having been diagnosed with a terminal illness, a congenital heart defect. Believing to have just four months to live, English allegedly expressed wanting “to do something before I go.” 

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“Defendant’s statements during the custodial interview reflect a recklessness that demonstrates that no condition or combination of conditions would be sufficient to assure the safety of the community. For example, the Defendant told officers, ‘That’s why I feel so okay with telling everyone everything because not only am I going to be either incarcerated or incinerated within weeks or months, doesn’t matter so I might as well tell you everything that I tell the lawyers because it doesn’t matter and I’m not afraid’,” court documents say. “As another example, the Defendant specifically mentioned being influenced by Luigi Mangione, the individual accused in the recent murder of United Health Group CEO Brian Thompson. The Defendant referred to her call to violence as ‘fate’ or ‘destiny.’ Those statements, coupled with Defendant’s statements that she has only a few months to live, demonstrate that the Defendant is a risk to the community if released.” 

In the interview, English allegedly said “I didn’t have a plan in my mind. I felt like I had to do this. I felt like I was on a mission. Maybe I told myself to have faith and just see where this goes and I had been thinking about for this for a while because of Luigi Mangione. I have seen the response to that and that situation… It was not an everyday thing and it extremely shook up everything.” 

Referring to Mangione, English allegedly told detectives “that poor kid just threw his life away for like a minute of vengeance,” according to the interview transcript cited in the filing. 

“Vengeance is bulls—, no one feels good about that,” English allegedly continued. “I cannot see an average, ordinary person hurting someone else and feeling good about it and I know that’s extremely naive, especially how he did it. It’s some guy he never met before, he shot him in the back of the head – you can’t feel proud about that. He’s probably questioning his humanity every single day. But as time goes on and as time went on, I started to understand things differently in my own personal situation, not regarding Luigi, regarding mainly the foremost thing is time – the feeling of running out of time, but of holy sh– it’s me… I don’t think I’m the Messiah or anything…. It’s fate, it’s destiny, it’s whatever you want to call it.”

English is charged with carrying a firearm, dangerous weapon, explosive or incendiary device on Capitol grounds and unlawful receipt or possession of a firearm. 

During a search, officers found English with a folding knife and Molotov cocktails in the suspect’s jacket pockets, authorities said. 

“USCP K9s swept and cleared the area, while other USCP officers and agents tracked down English’s car along the 900 block of Independence Avenue, SW,” U.S. Capitol Police statement said. “Investigators uncovered materials to make additional Molotov cocktails inside the vehicle.”

The suspect allegedly told investigators that English intended to kill Bessent, who was confirmed to lead the Treasury Department last week.

A receipt found in English’s pants pocket had a message that read: “Judith dear god I am so sorry. You must understand I can feel myself dying slowly b/c of my heart,” the message states. “This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters. I love you. This is awful. Im so sorry. I love u. Please stay alive and heal. you can. you are strong enough. F— them for pushing us so far. you dont deserve this. Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying. Please survive.”

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At some point, English stopped at a library in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where the suspect saw posts on Reddit mentioning the confirmation hearings for Bessent. The suspect allegedly changed target to focus on Bessent and purchased alcohol bottles to make the Molotov cocktails to “throw them at Bessent’s feet,” court documents state. 

English told authorities that the plan was to stab Bessent if the suspect was able to get close to him. While constructing the plan, English surmised that the suspect would have to kill at least three Capitol Police officers to get to Bessent. 

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Realizing English was unlikely to get close to Bessent, the suspect “expressed acceptance and content with the possibility of suicide by cop.”

Since January 2024, the USCP has confiscated more than 50 weapons, outside of the congressional buildings, that were illegally on Capitol grounds, the agency said.