Close to two years after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed, suspected gunman Luigi Mangione has admitted to pulling the trigger. Mangione, 28, pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to federal stalking charges.
According to the report, Mangione told the court, “I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died. I knew what I was doing was illegal.”
UnitedHealth Group issued a statement saying, “Brian Thompson’s life was cut short by an act of violence that devastated everyone who knew and loved him.” They expressed gratitude to law enforcement for bringing Thompson’s murderer to justice.
Mangione initially faced four federal charges in Thompson’s killing, but two of those charges were dismissed earlier this year. Federal prosecutors will seek a sentence of life in prison. Mangione is scheduled to be sentenced in the federal case on Dec. 18.
Mangione still faces state murder charges and is scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 8. His lawyers will be filing paperwork seeking to have the state murder case against him dismissed on the grounds of double jeopardy.
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The case against Mangione has been highly publicized due in part to a hand-written document recovered by officers that read like a manifesto against the nation’s largest health insurer. Thompson’s murder sparked public condolences and statements of rage on social media over claim denials by UnitedHealthcare.
In December 2024, then CEO Andrew Witty published an op-ed addressing the backlash against the insurer. Witty wrote, “We know the health system does not work as well as it should, and we understand people’s frustrations with it.”
U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said, “No grievance, political belief, or ideological cause can justify murder. With today’s guilty plea, Mangione is being held accountable for a heinous crime that claimed an innocent life and drew national attention.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said, “And to those who idolize Mangione – violence is not a cause, murder is not a message, and a killer is not a hero.”
Thompson’s wife Paulette reportedly took several deep breaths and wiped tears from her eyes as Mangione gave his plea. Thompson’s family released a statement saying, “Today’s guilty plea marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family.”
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Thompson, 50, was shot from behind as he walked down the sidewalk to attend a UnitedHealth Investor’s Conference. Video at the scene showed the shooter wearing a hooded jacket, his face covered, and taking what appeared to be a professional, aimed stance at Thompson as the executive walked by.
Mangione was apprehended at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and arrested and returned to New York, where he faced multiple federal and state charges. In April, then-U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Mangione, calling Thompson’s killing “a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America” and “an act of political violence.”
Mangione’s guilty plea may bring a sense of closure.
It also raises issues about the underlying problems that led to this tragic event.
The investigation into Thompson’s murder has been ongoing for nearly two years. The guilty plea is a significant development in the case. As the sentencing approaches, more details will emerge about the circumstances surrounding Thompson’s death.