Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty without a deal with federal prosecutors, with no guarantee that he would receive leniency for his plea.
Luigi Mangione sits between defence lawyers as he allocutes during a hearing in his federal murder trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, US, Aug 14, 2026 in this courtroom sketch. (Photo: REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)
15 Aug 2026 05:15AM
NEW YORK: Luigi Mangione admitted in court on Friday (Aug 14) that he fatally shot health insurance executive Brian Thompson and pleaded guilty to two federal charges of stalking the CEO with the intent to kill him."I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died," Mangione said. He wore beige prison garb and spoke clearly and calmly as he read from a prepared statement laced with criticism of the US health insurance system.Thompson's widow sat in the front row of the gallery with other members of his family. When Mangione admitted to shooting Thompson, she choked up while two women seated next to her comforted her.The guilty plea will avert a federal trial in the closely watched case over the killing of the 50-year-old UnitedHealthcare CEO, a brazen crime that was condemned by public officials but became emblematic of Americans' frustration with health insurance industry practices.
