Luigi Mangione admitted on Friday to tracking down and shooting Brian Thompson in a court hearing where he pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges in connection with the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killing.

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Mangione reversed his previous not-guilty plea while Thompson’s family members looked on from the front row of the downtown Manhattan courthouse. Thompson’s widow, Paulette Thompson, wiped tears from her eyes with a tissue during the plea hearing.

After answering a series of questions from US District Judge Margaret Garnett to assure her he understood the consequences of pleading guilty, Mangione read from a statement describing how he found and killed the UnitedHealthcare CEO.

“In the morning on December 4th, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan, and he died,” Mangione told the judge. “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,” he continued.

Mangione’s guilty plea applied to two federal charges he faced related to stalking Thompson before the healthcare executive was shot outside a Manhattan hotel.

Garnett will decide Mangione’s sentence on December 18. Mangione will remain in federal jail in Brooklyn until then.

Both stalking charges carry a maximum possible punishment of life in prison without parole, along with restitution to Thompson’s family and fines. Garnett previously threw out death penalty-eligible murder and firearms charges that had been sought by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi.

In a New York state courthouse down the block, Mangione remains — for now — scheduled to go to trial on September 8 on murder charges from the Manhattan district attorney’s office. He pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Immediately after Friday’s hearing, Mangione’s lawyers filed a motion asking Justice Gregory Carro, the state judge overseeing the murder case, to toss the remaining charges on double-jeopardy grounds.

Outside the federal courthouse, Mangione’s attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said it was “unfair” for prosecutors to bring two separate cases against him for “a single isolated event.”

“With today’s guilty plea, Mr. Mangione has accepted full responsibility for the death of Brian Thompson,” he said.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement that his office was “committed to seeking justice.” Thompson’s family said that Mangione’s guilty plea marked “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,” his family said in a statement. “Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime.”

Mangione criticized UnitedHealthcare in his court statement

Court records and Mangione’s social media accounts indicate that the 28-year-old University of Pennsylvania graduate developed a frustration with the American healthcare system following a back injury.

Thompson’s killing led to a five-day manhunt that ended in Mangione’s arrest when local police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, responded to a call that someone matching the suspect shooter’s description was eating breakfast inside a McDonald’s.

The killing and manhunt made Mangione a folk hero to some, who turned him into a symbol of widespread anger about the shortcomings of health insurance companies. Some of Mangione’s fans were among the journalists and members of the public who filled the courtroom Friday, sharing the room with Thompson’s family.

Mangione wore a standard jail-issue khaki uniform at the hearing. One member of Thompson’s family could be heard whispering “piece of shit” as Mangione walked in while surrounded by federal marshals.

While speaking in court, Mangione took several swipes at UnitedHealthcare in his Friday statement as he described finding out the location of the company’s annual investor conference in Manhattan, 3D printing gun parts, and traveling to New York City from outside the state.

“I observed the annual conference of America’s largest healthcare organization, with the stated mission to make the healthcare system work better for everyone, would be attended by executives, the board of directors, and countless investors — not doctors, nurses, and patients,” he said.

Mangione said that, while tracking down Thompson, he emailed UnitedHealthcare “posing as an investor at a firm managing over $15 billion in assets.”

“Unlike my previous interactions with insurers, I received an immediate response,” Mangione said.

Friedman-Agnifilo, wearing an eggplant purple suit, hammered the point home while speaking to journalists following Friday’s hearing.

“As Luigi explained in court today, he endured years of severe, debilitating pain with a broken back while struggling to navigate a healthcare and health insurance system,” she said. “Like the thousands of people who reached out to share their own experiences, he believed the system had failed him and destroyed his life.”

In a statement Friday, UnitedHealthcare thanked law enforcement officials who prosecuted Mangione.

“Brian Thompson’s life was cut short by an act of violence that devastated everyone who knew and loved him,” the company said. “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.”

Manhattan US Attorney Jamie McDonald, whose office oversaw the federal prosecution, said in a statement that, “No grievance, political belief, or ideological cause can justify murder.” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch praised the “painstaking, old-fashioned police work” that led to Mangione’s arrest and built the case against him.

“To those who idolize Mangione — violence is not a cause, murder is not a message, and a killer is not a hero,” she said.