Officials react to Luigi Mangione's plan to plead guilty in federal case

Luigi Mangione, 28, has pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione appeared in federal court in New York and acknowledged shooting Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024, where the executive was attending an investor conference. He stated that he understood his actions would place Thompson in fear of death or bodily injury and knew what he was doing was illegal.

According to the court, Mangione said he researched details of UnitedHealthcare's annual investor conference after suffering a broken back and navigating the health insurance system. He used a 3D printer to make part of a gun and travelled to New York for the attack. The guilty plea was entered without a deal with prosecutors, and Mangione could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. US District Judge Margaret Garnett set Mangione's sentencing for December 18.

Mangione's guilty plea may also allow him to seek dismissal of state murder charges. His lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, noted that there was no plea agreement with prosecutors. The case drew significant attention due to its connection to the US health insurance industry, with some viewing Mangione as a symbol of frustration with the industry's practices. A nationwide manhunt ensued after the shooting, and Mangione was arrested five days later at a McDonald's in central Pennsylvania.

Brief written by urgent.news from CBS News, Hindustan Times - World News, Global News, National Post, South China Morning Post — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.