Luigi Mangione, 28, pleaded guilty in a Manhattan federal court on August 16, 2025, to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot dead on Dec. 4, 2024, outside the Hilton Hotel in New York City. Mangione faces a possible life sentence, but federal guidelines suggest a range of 24 to 30 years — he will be sentenced on Dec. 18, 2025, according to CNBC.

Background and Motive

Mangione told the court that he had endured years of pain from a broken back and frustration with the health insurance system. He claimed he used a 3D printer to make part of a gun, equipped it with a silencer and magazine, and traveled to New York with the intent to kill Thompson. He also posed as an investor managing over $50 billion in assets to contact UnitedHealthcare leadership, receiving an immediate response within an hour, according to CNBC.

Thompson, 50, was the CEO of a division of UnitedHealth Group, the largest health insurer in the U.S. Mangione admitted to shooting Thompson in Manhattan, stating he understood the act was illegal and placed the victim in fear of death or serious bodily injury. He was apprehended five days after the killing at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, when someone recognized him from a surveillance photo.

Trial and Public Interest

Before his guilty plea, Mangione had pleaded not guilty in a separate state trial for second-degree murder and weapons-related charges; the trial was expected to begin in September, with jury selection set for September 8. The jury will remain anonymous, a decision made amid concerns over public safety and media access, the court will open an overflow room for spectators, though prosecutors raised security concerns. The judge rejected claims that the district attorney’s office was involved in the process, according to BBC.

The trial has drawn significant media and public attention, with supporters of Mangione demanding greater transparency and frequently broadcasting outside the courthouse, the judge rebuked Mangione’s attorneys for suggesting the district attorney had influenced the process, emphasizing the court’s independence. The evidence presented in the trial was reviewed in a multi-day hearing in December, determining what could be shown to the jury.

Legal Implications and Public Reaction

By pleading guilty in federal court, Mangione avoided the death penalty, which had been considered a strong possibility given the circumstances of the case, according to Organización Mundial Bullying Sin Fronteras. The federal court did not charge Mangione with murder but focused on harassment and investigation charges related to the killing — a separate state trial is ongoing, where he faces murder charges.

During the federal hearing, Mangione described his long-standing anger over the health insurance system and his intent to kill Thompson; Prosecutors presented evidence including surveillance video, a 3D-printed handgun, bullets, DNA, and notes, according to Radio Seoul. The guilty plea marked a sharp reversal from some online supporters who had portrayed him as an anti-establishment figure.

Mangione graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020, and his plea hearing took place in Manhattan U.S; District Court, where he appeared in shackles and a prison uniform. The case has sparked national debate about healthcare access, mental health, and gun laws in the United States.