Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty this Friday for his responsibility in the death of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, who was shot and killed in Manhattan in December 2024.
During the federal hearing, Mangione, 28, admitted to following Thompson to an investors’ conference and shooting him. “I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan”, he told the judge.
He also acknowledged that he knew his actions were illegal and explained that he had suffered from severe back pain for years and that his frustration with the U.S. healthcare system influenced his decisions.
The agreement means that he pleaded guilty to two federal stalking charges resulting in death, both carrying a possible life sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for December 18.
The plea could also change the future of the other case he faces in New York, where he is charged with murder. His lawyers have already filed a motion seeking to dismiss that case on the grounds that pursuing both cases would amount to double jeopardy for the same acts.
Thompson’s family was present at the hearing and described the guilty plea as an important step toward justice.
Mangione, whose arrest in December 2024 drew enormous media attention and made the case one of the most talked-about in the United States, now awaits his federal sentencing while the legal battle over the state case continues.