Luigi Mangione Prepared to Plead Guilty to Federal Charges, He Tells Judge

Luigi Mangione on Friday pleaded guilty to both federal stalking charges against him in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, admitting in court that he shot the healthcare executive in 2024.

Mangione pleaded guilty to two charges that each carry a possible life sentence: interstate stalking resulting in death and stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death. The judge accepted his plea.

“I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan,” Mangione told the judge on Friday, according to the New York Times. “I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death or bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal.”

He said during the hearing that he tracked down Thompson “after years of enduring severe pain from a broken back, navigating the obstacles of the health insurance system and witnessing similar experiences of countless others,” The Associated Press reported. He said he had 3-D printed a gun and attached a silencer, and that he had reached out to UnitedHealthcare while posing as an investor to find out the details of the conference in New York.

Mangione did not face murder charges in federal court. The federal judge on Friday set a hearing date of Dec. 18 for Mangione’s sentencing.

The guilty plea marks a remarkable shift in Mangione’s defense, as he had previously pleaded not guilty to all the federal and state charges he was facing.

Thompson's family said in a statement shared with news outlets after the hearing on Friday that Mangione's guilty plea "marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family."

“While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable,” the family said. “Now we look to the court to ensure the sentencing reflects the severity of this crime.”

UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of United Healthcare, also shared a statement after Friday's hearing, saying: "Brian Thompson's life was cut short by an act of violence that devastated everyone who knew and loved him. We are grateful to law enforcement for bringing Brian's murderer to justice, and our thoughts remain with Brian's family and loved ones during this difficult time."

After the hearing on Friday, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, commended prosecutors and law enforcement officers “for their tireless work in securing this result.”

“No grievance, political belief, or ideological cause can justify murder,” McDonald said in a statement . “With today’s guilty plea, Mangione is being held accountable for a heinous crime that claimed an innocent life and drew national attention.”

Mangione, 28, was arrested in December 2024 on suspicion of fatally shooting Thompson in New York City five days earlier while the health executive was walking to a conference. The case quickly drew the attention of people across the country, some of whom regarded Mangione as a symbol for those who are frustrated with the health insurance industry in the U.S.

The 28-year-old’s state murder trial is scheduled to start next month in New York.