Luigi Mangione, 28, has pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges related to the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealth Group executive Brian Thompson. This marks his first acknowledgment of responsibility in the widely publicized case. Mangione appeared in federal court in New York, where he admitted to shooting Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel during an investor conference attended by the executive.
“On the morning of December 4, 2024, I shot Mr. A conviction could result in a sentence ranging from 25 years to life. Mangione is due to face trial next month in New York state court, where he is charged with second-degree murder and other offences.
Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” Mangione said. “When I did I understood my actions would place him in fear of death or bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal. He entered the plea without reaching a deal with prosecutors and could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. Mangione fled Manhattan after the shooting, which led to a nationwide manhunt. He was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in central Pennsylvania. Until his guilty plea, Mangione had been tight-lipped. He also attracted substantial online support. Thousands of followers showed sympathy and dozens of supporters even turned up at his court hearings.
In the state case, New York Judge Gregory Carro dismissed the first-degree murder charge brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, removing the possibility of a mandatory life sentence in state prison.
Judge Garnett previously dismissed a federal murder charge that could have exposed Mangione to the death penalty.
