Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty, Admits Shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO in Manhattan

Luigi Mangione used a courtroom appearance on August 16, 2026, to attribute his crimes to a back injury, stating he aimed to improve healthcare for everyone.

Mangione, 28, pleaded guilty on Friday, August 15, 2026, to two federal stalking charges related to the December 4, 2024, fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan. He told the court, "I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan. I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death of bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal."

Mangione admitted to stalking Thompson in the weeks before the shooting and using a 3D printer to make a gun. The federal charges, interstate stalking resulting in death and cyberstalking through interstate facilities resulting in death, carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Sentencing is scheduled for December 18, with federal prosecutor Jamie McDonald stating the government will seek life imprisonment.

Mangione did not enter into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. He still faces eight felony counts in New York, including second-degree murder, six weapons charges, and possession of a forged instrument, with his state trial scheduled for September 8. Mangione's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the state murder and firearms charges, arguing double jeopardy protections.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office plans to oppose this motion. Thompson’s family called the plea an important step toward justice and noted the ongoing state prosecution. Federal murder charges that could have led to the death penalty were dismissed in January.