Luigi Mangione admits to shooting Healthcare CEO, pleads guilty to stalking
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Photo: AP
New York: Luigi Mangione admitted in a federal court on Friday that he shot UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson in Manhattan in December 2024, while pleading guilty to stalking charges related to the case.
Mangione, 28, told the court that he had shot Thompson on December 4 and that the executive subsequently died. Prosecutors said they would seek a life sentence when he is sentenced on December 18, AFP reported.
Mangione was facing stalking charges in the federal case alongside separate murder charges filed by New York state authorities. His lawyers, however, moved to have the state charges dismissed, arguing that pursuing both cases could violate protections against double jeopardy.
According to his lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, the defence had filed a motion in the state court contending that the New York prosecution should be dropped under the state's double-jeopardy provisions.
Both the federal stalking charges and the state murder charges carry the possibility of life imprisonment. Two other federal charges that could have resulted in the death penalty were dismissed by a judge earlier this year.
The case has generated sharply divided reactions across the United States. While President Donald Trump and other conservatives have called for strong action against Mangione, supporters gathered outside the Manhattan courthouse to demonstrate their backing.
The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, said the case should not result in Mangione being treated as a celebrity or glorified for the killing.
Members of Thompson's family were reportedly present for the hearing, while supporters of Mangione gathered outside amid heavy security.
The killing of Thompson had also sparked wider debate and public anger over the US commercial healthcare system, with some people expressing frustration over insurance practices and portraying Mangione as a hero.
Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9, 2024, following a tip from employees at a McDonald's restaurant after a multi-day manhunt.
During Friday's hearing, he also admitted to using a 3D printer to manufacture a firearm and fitting it with a silencer and magazine. Prosecutors had also recovered a checklist containing entries referring to an intelligence check-in and a reminder to purchase a camera from Best Buy.