In a dramatic courtroom development, Luigi Mangione has admitted that he fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, pleading guilty Friday to two federal stalking charges connected to the high-profile December 2024 killing in Manhattan.

Appearing before U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett on August 14, 2026, the 28-year-old acknowledged in open court that he traveled to New York intending to kill Thompson. Mangione told the court that he had researched UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference and used a 3D printer to manufacture part of the firearm used in the attack.

In his most direct admission since his arrest, Mangione stated that he shot Thompson in Manhattan and that the executive died as a result. His guilty plea marks a stunning reversal from his earlier position after previously pleading not guilty to the federal charges.

Thompson was shot outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024, as he arrived for UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference. The killing triggered a nationwide manhunt that ended five days later when Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Mangione told the court that his actions followed frustration with the American healthcare system after dealing with medical problems related to a serious back injury. His case has since attracted extraordinary public attention and intense debate surrounding healthcare costs, insurance practices and violence against corporate executives.

However, Mangione did not plead guilty to a federal murder charge. That charge was dismissed earlier in 2026, leaving the federal stalking counts, each of which could carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. His sentencing is scheduled for December 18, 2026, and his attorney said there was no plea agreement with federal prosecutors.

Mangione also continues to face a separate New York state murder case, meaning Friday’s federal guilty plea does not automatically resolve every criminal charge arising from Thompson’s death.