Conflict · Manhattan shootingLuigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO in ManhattanAired August 14, 2026 at 8:57 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty in0:02Manhattan federal court on August 14th0:03[music]0:04and admitted he shot and killed United0:06Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on0:08December 4th, 2024 [music]0:10on the West 54th Street sidewalk outside0:12the United Healthcare investor0:13conference [music] in Midtown Manhattan.0:15He entered an open plea to two federal0:17counts of stalking resulting in death0:19with no plea agreement and no promises.0:21Sworn in the colloquy, he said he was of0:23sound mind and competent, understood his0:26conduct [music] would place Thompson in0:27fear of death or bodily injury, knew it0:29was illegal, and told the judge he shot0:31Thompson in the back with intent, firing0:33two shots at close range at about 6:450:35in the morning. The shooting set off a0:37five-day manhunt. Investigators reviewed0:39[music] thousands of hours of0:41surveillance video, followed hundreds of0:42tips, and released a public image five0:44days after the murder before the arrest0:46in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Police said0:48ammunition at the scene was marked0:49"delay, [music] deny, depose." In0:51January, a judge threw out federal0:53murder charges removing the death0:54penalty the Justice Department had0:55sought. Mangione described extensive0:57[music] planning that included emailing0:59United Healthcare while posing as an1:01investor managing billions, conducting1:03extensive [music] research on the1:04conference, traveling to New York, and1:06making the weapon. The weapon has been1:08described as a 3D [music] printed ghost1:10gun with a silencer, and also as a 9-mm1:13handgun equipped with [music] a1:14silencer. In court, the act was linked1:17to years of severe back pain after a1:18broken back and struggles navigating the1:20healthcare and insurance [music] system.1:22The prosecutor said Mangione acted to1:24draw attention to dislike of certain1:26businesses and that the stalking and1:27shooting was deliberate and1:28premeditated. [music] Prosecutors said1:30there was no plea bargain and they will1:32seek the maximum of life in prison on1:34both counts. While a government1:36guideline of 292 [music]1:38to 365 months, about 24 to 30 years, was1:42discussed at the hearing. The guilty1:43plea has triggered a fight over the1:45parallel state case. The defense has1:47filed a motion to dismiss the New1:48[music] York state second-degree murder1:50and weapons charges on double jeopardy1:51and successive prosecution grounds,1:53arguing [music] New York protections bar1:55a second prosecution after the federal1:56conviction. If the court denies [music]1:58the motion, that trial remains scheduled2:00for early September on September 8th,2:03while federal sentencing is set for2:04December 18th with victim impact2:06statements expected from Thompson's2:08family.2:09Like and follow for more stories that2:11matter.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗