Luigi Mangione has pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges stemming from the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealth Group executive Brian Thompson, marking his first admission of responsibility in a case that has drawn intense attention and become a flashpoint in public anger over the US healthcare system.Prosecutors have said they found strong evidence tying Luigi Mangione, 27, to the murder, including a 9-millimeter handgun, a silencer, a loaded gun magazine and a diary. (File Photo/AP)Mangione, 28, appeared in federal court in New York and acknowledged shooting Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel where the executive was attending an investor conference. He entered the plea without reaching a deal with prosecutors and could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.“On the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” Mangione said. “When I did I understood my actions would place him in fear of death or bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal.”Manhunt followed shootingMangione fled Manhattan after the shooting, triggering a nationwide manhunt. He was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in central Pennsylvania.Until his guilty plea, Mangione had maintained a defiant stance. He also attracted substantial online support, with thousands of followers expressing sympathy and dozens of supporters turning up at his court hearings.He had initially pleaded not guilty in both the federal and state cases.State murder trial next monthMangione is due to face trial next month in New York state court, where he is charged with second-degree murder and other offences. A conviction could result in a sentence ranging from 25 years to life.His lawyers are expected to challenge the state prosecution, arguing that New York law bars a defendant from being prosecuted twice for the same crime, even when prosecutors bring different charges.US District Judge Margaret Garnett, who presided over Friday’s federal hearing, said any federal sentence imposed on Mangione could be added to the punishment handed down in the state case. She scheduled his federal sentencing for December 18.Evidence cited by prosecutorsAuthorities have said they gathered extensive evidence linking Mangione to the killing, including a homemade firearm and silencer, along with a notebook that allegedly described his intention to target a healthcare industry executive.Thompson, 50, was the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group. Mangione is a University of Pennsylvania graduate and previously worked as a data engineer.Thompson’s family attended Friday’s hearing. One woman cried when Mangione entered the courtroom, while another relative comforted her, telling her, “You’ve got this.” More than 100 people were present in the courtroom.Murder charges previously reducedMangione’s legal team has already secured significant reductions in the charges against him.Judge Garnett previously dismissed a federal murder charge that could have exposed Mangione to the death penalty. In the state case, New York Judge Gregory Carro dismissed the first-degree murder charge brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, removing the possibility of a mandatory life sentence in state prison.