Luigi Mangione has admitted fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson, pleading guilty to two federal stalking charges carrying potential life sentences.
Appearing in federal court on Friday, the 28-year-old acknowledged shooting Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in December 2024 and said he had travelled to New York intending to kill him.
Mangione told the court he had experienced difficulties dealing with health insurers following a broken back and criticised the US healthcare system while reading from a prepared statement.
He also revealed he had posed as a wealthy investor to obtain information about UnitedHealth Group’s annual conference and used a 3D printer to manufacture part of the firearm.
Thompson’s widow and relatives attended the hearing, with his family describing the plea as an important step towards justice. Prosecutors intend to seek life imprisonment, with sentencing scheduled for 18 December. Mangione’s lawyers have meanwhile moved to dismiss separate New York murder charges, arguing another prosecution over the killing would breach state double-jeopardy protections.
