Mangione’s lawyers informed Judge Gregory Carro on Thursday that they would no longer seek an extreme emotional disturbance defense in the Dec. 4, 2024 shooting of Thompson in Manhattan. The decision came ahead of a deadline requiring the defense to provide prosecutors with supporting information for the claim.

In a letter to the court, defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said the defense “respectfully withdraws” its notice under New York’s psychiatric defense statute “at this time.”

The move marked a sharp reversal from Wednesday’s court hearing, when Mangione’s legal team said they intended to argue that he was suffering from extreme emotional disturbance when Thompson was killed. Under New York law, such a defense does not absolve a defendant of criminal responsibility but can reduce a murder conviction to manslaughter if accepted by a jury.

A manslaughter conviction in New York carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, while a murder conviction can result in a life sentence.

Following the defense’s withdrawal, Carro rescinded an order that would have unsealed transcripts and materials from a closed June 3 hearing related to the psychiatric-defense issue. However, copies of the transcript had already been provided to some media organizations before the judge’s latest ruling.

According to court proceedings, the transcript contained no additional details regarding the basis for the proposed emotional disturbance claim.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges stemming from Thompson’s killing. His state murder trial is scheduled to begin on Sept. 8, while a separate federal trial involving stalking-related charges is set for Oct. 13.

At Wednesday’s hearing, Agnifilo argued against making materials related to the psychiatric-defense strategy public, saying disclosure could prejudice Mangione’s defense in the federal case, where an extreme emotional disturbance defense is not available.

The emotional disturbance defense differs from a not guilty by reason of insanity plea, which can result in psychiatric treatment rather than imprisonment if successful.

Thompson, 50, was shot and killed while walking to a Manhattan hotel where UnitedHealth Group was holding its annual investor conference. Surveillance footage showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind, according to prosecutors.

Investigators have said the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on ammunition recovered in the case, echoing language often used by critics of health-insurance claims practices.

Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland family, was arrested five days after the shooting at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

In a ruling issued last month, Carro allowed prosecutors to use a 3D-printed handgun and a notebook allegedly recovered from Mangione as evidence at trial. Prosecutors contend the firearm matches the weapon used in the shooting and that notebook entries referenced a desire to target a health-insurance executive and oppose what was described as a “deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel.”

The footage, released by U.S. Attorney for Washington Jeanine Pirro, appears to show suspect Cole Tomas Allen running through a magnetometer checkpoint at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night carrying a long gun before pointing the weapon at a Secret Service agent, who then fired back multiple times.

Authorities said Allen, 31, was injured during the confrontation but was not struck by gunfire. The incident disrupted one of Washington’s highest-profile annual gatherings, attended by journalists, senior administration officials and President Trump.

Prosecutors had earlier stated that a Secret Service officer was struck in the chest by gunfire but protected by a bullet-resistant vest. Questions had emerged over whether the injury resulted from Allen’s weapon or possible friendly fire during the chaos.Pirro said Thursday there was no evidence the officer had been hit by friendly fire.

The video appears to show Allen’s weapon raised toward the officer before the agent discharged his firearm five times. It remains unclear from the footage at what precise moment Allen’s weapon was fired.Allen appeared briefly in federal court on Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya, where he agreed to remain in custody pending trial. He did not enter a plea.

He was formally charged on Monday with attempted assassination of the president, along with two additional firearms offenses, including discharging a weapon during a crime of violence. He faces up to life in prison if convicted on the attempted assassination charge alone.

Court filings from prosecutors said Allen had taken a photograph of himself in his hotel room minutes before the attack while carrying an ammunition bag, a shoulder holster and a sheathed knife.

Authorities also cited messages they say indicate motive, including one in which Allen referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and expressed grievances related to multiple Trump administration policies. Prosecutors said the evidence pointed to a deliberate attempt to reach the ballroom where Trump was speaking.

Defense lawyers challenged that interpretation, arguing in court papers that the government’s case relies heavily on assumptions about intent and noting that Allen’s writings did not explicitly mention Trump by name.“The government’s evidence of the charged offense the attempted assassination of the president is thus built entirely upon speculation,” defense attorneys wrote.

The nearly six-minute surveillance compilation released by prosecutors includes footage from the day before the attack showing Allen walking repeatedly through a hotel hallway and briefly entering the gym.

At the security checkpoint, the video shows officers dismantling magnetometers and standing nearby when Allen suddenly emerges from a doorway and sprints toward the screening area. Most officers appear caught off guard as he rushes past them.

Only one visible officer appears to draw a weapon before Allen reaches the checkpoint. Pirro identified that officer as the agent who was struck and returned fire.Secret Service Director Sean Curran defended the agency’s handling of security for the event, saying the attack was contained within seconds at the outermost perimeter of a multi-layered protective zone around the president.

“The site was set up perfectly,” Curran said in an interview with Fox News, adding that multiple physical barriers and additional armed officers stood between the checkpoint and the ballroom podium where Trump was seated, approximately 355 feet away.

Allen, from Torrance, California, worked as a part-time tutor for a test preparation company and was also described by authorities as an amateur video game developer.

Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, allegedly exploited sensitive details from a January mission to capture Maduro, using insider knowledge to place wagers on the platform Polymarket, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York.

Prosecutors said Van Dyke participated in the planning and execution of the operation for about a month starting Dec. 8, 2025, during which he had access to classified material.He faces multiple charges, including unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.

If convicted, he could face a lengthy prison sentence.According to the indictment, Van Dyke created an account on Polymarket in late December and placed around 13 bets, taking positions on outcomes such as the presence of U.S. forces in Venezuela and Maduro being removed from power by Jan. 31, 2026.

Officials allege that after securing the winnings, Van Dyke transferred much of the funds into a foreign cryptocurrency account before moving them into a brokerage account. He also attempted to have his Polymarket account deleted, claiming he had lost access to the associated email, prosecutors said.

Van Dyke, a Master Sergeant promoted in 2023, was part of the U.S. special forces community and stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The indictment states he had signed nondisclosure agreements prohibiting the disclosure or misuse of classified or sensitive operational information.

Kash Patel said the case underscores accountability for individuals entrusted with national security information. “Any clearance holders thinking of cashing in their access and knowledge for personal gain will be held accountable,” he said in a statement.

The case follows heightened scrutiny of prediction markets after reports earlier this month identified suspiciously accurate bets tied to geopolitical developments, prompting warnings from the White House against the misuse of nonpublic information in such platforms.

The Pentagon referred inquiries to the Army and the Department of Justice, while U.S. Special Operations Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment.