Luigi Mangione has revealed what he says drove him to fatally shoot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, as he admitted for the first time in court that he carried out the killing.
The 28-year-old pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court on Friday to two stalking charges relating to the December 4, 2024 shooting, telling the judge he had deliberately travelled to New York with the intention of killing the 50-year-old healthcare executive.
Speaking calmly from a prepared statement, Luigi said years of severe pain following a broken back, along with his experiences navigating the US health insurance system, had fuelled his anger, as reported by Reuters.
He told the court he had endured “severe pain from a broken back” and encountered obstacles dealing with insurers, while also seeing other people go through similar experiences. Reuters reported that Mangione did not give further details about the particular insurance difficulties he experienced.
After learning that UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual investor conference in New York, Luigi said he began researching the event.
He was struck, he told the court, by the fact that the gathering would bring together company executives, board members and hundreds of investors rather than doctors, nurses or patients.
© Getty ImagesLuigi then posed as an investor representing a firm managing more than $50 billion in assets and emailed UnitedHealthcare executives requesting information about the conference.
He said he received a reply within an hour – something he contrasted in court with his previous experiences dealing with health insurers.
However, despite Luigi framing his actions around his frustrations with the wider insurance system, police and UnitedHealthcare have previously said he was not a customer of UnitedHealthcare.
He also admitted preparing the weapon used in the attack, telling the court he used a 3D printer to make part of a gun before equipping it with a silencer and magazine.
© AFP via Getty Images“My travel to New York and email to UnitedHealthcare was with the intent to shoot Brian Thompson,” he told the court.
He then gave a stark account of the killing itself, saying: “I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died.”
Luigi added that he understood his actions could cause death or serious injury and acknowledged: “I knew what I was doing was illegal.”
Brian was shot outside a Manhattan hotel in the early hours of December 4, 2024, as he headed to UnitedHealthcare’s investor conference. The killing sparked a five-day manhunt before Luigi was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
© GC ImagesBrian’s widow, Paulette, was sitting in the front row of the courtroom as Mangione admitted killing her husband and was seen becoming emotional during his statement.
His family later described the guilty plea as an “important step toward justice” and said they hoped his eventual sentence would reflect the seriousness of the crime.
Luigi entered the guilty pleas without reaching a deal with federal prosecutors, who have said they will seek the maximum punishment of life in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for December 18.
The dramatic development does not necessarily bring an end to his legal battle.
© UnitedHealth GroupLuigi is also facing second-degree murder and weapons charges in New York state court, where his trial is currently scheduled to begin on September 8. He has pleaded not guilty in that case and could face 25 years to life if convicted of murder.
Within hours of his federal plea, his lawyers filed a motion seeking to have the state prosecution dismissed under New York’s double jeopardy protections, arguing that he should not face a second prosecution over the same killing.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has said it will oppose the move and remains committed to pursuing the case against him.
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