Luigi Mangione, 28, has pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. He appeared in a Manhattan federal court on Friday, where he was charged with two federal offenses: interstate stalking resulting in death and stalking through the use of interstate facilities resulting in death. He pleaded guilty to both counts.

The charges are separate from the state-level charges Mangione faces in connection with Thompson’s killing, which include second-degree murder and firearm offenses. He had previously pleaded not guilty to those charges and has not changed his plea. The state-level trial is set to begin next month.

Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two who oversaw the nation’s largest healthcare insurer, was fatally shot on a New York City street in December 2024. The incident triggered a five-day manhunt that ended with Mangione’s arrest at a McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania five days later.

During Friday’s hearing, Mangione recounted researching UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference and emailing the company, posing as an investor, to learn more details. He used that information to target Thompson, he said.

“I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan,” he told the judge, adding that he knew it was illegal. The case continues to unfold, with more details expected as the legal proceedings progress.

Source: www.aljazeera.com