Luigi Mangione admits shooting healthcare CEO Brian Thompson and pleads guilty on federal charges – as it happened | Brian Thompson shooting
Luigi Mangione pleads guilty on federal charges – key points at a glance
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Luigi Mangione has pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges in the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, telling the judge: “I shot Mr Thompson in Manhattan and he died.”
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Mangione said that “after years of enduring severe back pain, a broken back, navigating the obstacles of the health system,” he learned that UnitedHealthcare would be holding it’s annual investor convergence in December 2024. The location was not public but he traveled to New York City and emailed UnitedHealthcare leadership, posing as an institutional investor, to get more information, getting a response within an hour.
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He also researched who would be attending. Mangione then said he printed a gun with a 3-D printer and affixed it with a silencer. “I shot Mr Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” he continued. “When I did so, I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death or serious bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal.”
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Judge Margaret Garnett accepted the plea and will sentence Mangione on 18 December. Mangione’s lawyer also confirmed to the judge that there is no plea agreement with the government. He will remain in federal custody as he awaits sentencing. He faces life in prison.
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Mangione, 28, entered the plea at a hastily scheduled hearing in Manhattan federal court this morning, resolving one of two cases against him in connection with Thompson’s killing. With this guilty plea, his lawyers could seek to have the state case – for which he has pleaded not guilty to murder and is scheduled to go on trial next month – thrown out on double jeopardy grounds.
Key events
Reactions to Luigi Mangione’s guilty plea – at a glance
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Brian Thompson’s family called the plea “an important step toward justice”. “Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime,” the family said in a statement. “We remain mindful that additional proceedings in New York and Pennsylvania are still to come, and we will continue to seek the justice Brian deserves.
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Meanwhile, Luigi Mangione’s defense team filed a motion to have the state murder case dismissed on double jeopardy grounds, one of his attorney’s, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, told reporters outside the courthouse. She said Mangione had been “unfairly treated since the outset” and was “being prosecuted twice for the same conduct”. “Today’s guilty plea triggers [New York’s state’s double jeopardy] statue and we just filed our motion in state court explaining why the state charges must be dismissed under the state’s double jeopardy protections,” she said.
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The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said, “We are encouraged that Mr. Thompson’s family received a measure of accountability today.” It added that it is “prepared to litigate the defense motions”.
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Jamie McDonald, the US attorney for the southern district of New York, told reporters that his office does not have a plea agreement with Mangione and said that it would seek the maximum sentence of life in prison. He added that “there can be no celebrity in assassination”, and that “any person who celebrates, encourages or excuses actions like these is fundamentally wrong … Violence is not a legitimate instrument to promote any political or social message.”
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UnitedHealth Group – UnitedHealthcare’s parent company – said: “Brian Thompson’s life was cut short by an act of violence that devastated everyone who knew and loved him. We are grateful to law enforcement for bringing Brian’s murderer to justice, and our thoughts remain with Brian’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
UnitedHealth Group – UnitedHealthcare’s parent company – has issued this statement.
Brian Thompson’s life was cut short by an act of violence that devastated everyone who knew and loved him. We are grateful to law enforcement for bringing Brian’s murderer to justice, and our thoughts remain with Brian’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.
Jamie McDonald, the US attorney for the southern district of New York, told reporters that his office does not have a plea agreement with Mangione and said that it would seek the maximum sentence of life in prison.
He said outside the courthouse:
Now [Mangione] stands convicted in federal court and faces life in prison … While the defendant pleaded guilty, our office does not have a plea agreement with him. Instead, he pleaded open, which means he pleaded guilty to all pending counts in the indictment. There are no accommodations or concessions, and we are free to seek the maximum penalty under the law … The results achieved today now allow our office to seek the maximum penalty allowed — life imprisonment.
McDonald also said, “There can be no celebrity in assassination.”
“Any person who celebrates, encourages or excuses actions like these is fundamentally wrong,” he said. “Violence is not a legitimate instrument to promote any political or social message.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office released this statement.
Since December 2024, the Manhattan D.A.’s Office has been tirelessly preparing to pursue a trial conviction in New York State Supreme Court for the alleged cold-blooded murder of Brian Thompson. We are encouraged that Mr. Thompson’s family received a measure of accountability today.
While federal sentencing is pending, we are prepared to litigate the defense motions. The Manhattan D.A.’s Office remains committed to seeking justice for Mr. Thompson and his family.
NYPD commissioner: ‘Murder is not a message, and a killer is certainly not a hero’
Also speaking outside the courthouse following the guilty plea, NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch hailed this as “an important moment of accountability” in Brian Thompson’s killing.
“My thoughts remain first and foremost with Mr. Thompson’s family and everyone who knew and loved him,” she said, and also commended the “extraordinary police work that brought us here”.
She ended her statement with this message:
And to those who idolize Luigi Mangione, I say this: Violence is not a cause. Murder is not a message, and a killer is certainly not a hero.
Mangione’s defense team file motion to dismiss state murder case on double jeopardy grounds, lawyer says
Following Luigi Mangione’s guilty plea in the federal case against him, his defense team has just filed a motion in state court, triggering double jeopardy to dismiss the state murder case, one of his attorney’s Karen Friedman Agnifilo told reporters outside the courthouse. The state trial is set for 8 September.
Here are Friedman Agnifilo’s full comments:
With today’s guilty plea, Mr Mangione has accepted full responsibility for the death of Brian Thompson.
It was a single tragic event, yet he’s being prosecuted twice for the same conduct.
As Luigi explained in court today, he endured years of severe, debilitating pain following a broken back, while struggling to navigate our healthcare and health insurance systems.
Like the thousands of people who have reached out since this tragedy to share their own experiences, he believed that the system had failed him and destroyed his life.
Despite this being a single isolated event, Mr Mangione has been unfairly treated since the outset in every way, and have successfully fought off terrorism charges and the death penalty, while also fighting at the same time two simultaneous prosecutions in two jurisdictions, who are punish him twice for the exact conduct.
He’s been treated differently from every other defendant charged with this offence in New York. However, thankfully, New York law does not … permit a person to be prosecuted and punished twice for the exact same crime … It’s also known as the double jeopardy law.
Today’s guilty plea triggers this statue and we just filed our motion in state court explaining why the state charges must be dismissed under the state’s double jeopardy protections.
The scene outside the courthouse.
Thompson’s family calls plea ‘an important step toward justice’
Brian Thompson’s family has issued this statement.
Today’s guilty plea marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family. While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable. Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime. We remain mindful that additional proceedings in New York and Pennsylvania are still to come, and we will continue to seek the justice Brian deserves.
Luigi Mangione pleads guilty on federal charges – key points at a glance
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Luigi Mangione has pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges in the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, telling the judge: “I shot Mr Thompson in Manhattan and he died.”
-
Mangione said that “after years of enduring severe back pain, a broken back, navigating the obstacles of the health system,” he learned that UnitedHealthcare would be holding it’s annual investor convergence in December 2024. The location was not public but he traveled to New York City and emailed UnitedHealthcare leadership, posing as an institutional investor, to get more information, getting a response within an hour.
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He also researched who would be attending. Mangione then said he printed a gun with a 3-D printer and affixed it with a silencer. “I shot Mr Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” he continued. “When I did so, I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death or serious bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal.”
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Judge Margaret Garnett accepted the plea and will sentence Mangione on 18 December. Mangione’s lawyer also confirmed to the judge that there is no plea agreement with the government. He will remain in federal custody as he awaits sentencing. He faces life in prison.
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Mangione, 28, entered the plea at a hastily scheduled hearing in Manhattan federal court this morning, resolving one of two cases against him in connection with Thompson’s killing. With this guilty plea, his lawyers could seek to have the state case – for which he has pleaded not guilty to murder and is scheduled to go on trial next month – thrown out on double jeopardy grounds.
Victoria Bekiempis
at the courthouse in Manhattan
And court is adjourned.
Mangione has stood. He’s being escorted out of the courtroom by Marshals.
Judge Garnett sets Mangione’s sentencing for 18 December.
Mangione pleads guilty to both counts of federal indictment
at the courthouse in Manhattan
Judge Garnett now asks: “Mr Mangione how do you now plea to counts 1 and 2 in the indictment?”
“Guilty,” he said matter-of-factly.
Garnett, saying she found him competent and able to enter a plea, goes on: “I will accept your guilty plea and enter a judgment of guilty on counts one and two in the indictment.”
Victoria Bekiempis
at the courthouse in Manhattan
Mangione’s allocution is done and the prosecution is now going over what evidence it would have presented at trial; they’re now saying some of the evidence includes video of the shooting.
Mangione tells court: ‘I shot Mr Thompson in Manhattan and he died’
Victoria Bekiempis
at the courthouse in Manhattan
Mangione said that he endured physical pain for years.
“I shot Mr Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” he continued.
“When I did so, I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death or serious bodily injury,” he said. “I knew what I was doing was illegal.”
Victoria Bekiempis
at the courthouse in Manhattan
Mangione is allocuting.
Victoria Bekiempis
at the courthouse in Manhattan
The judge reveals there is no plea deal. Instead, the government has filed a letter saying what they believe an appropriate sentence should be.
Garnett said: “The government indicates that it believes the applicable sentencing range … 292 to 365 months of imprisonment.”
