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Following the defense’s withdrawal, Carro rescinded an order that would have unsealed transcripts and materials from a closed June 3 hearing related to the psychiatric-defense issue.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 success of “The Correspondent” has brought renewed attention to a novel that examines loss, memory, disappointment and the possibility of hope, with its author saying the story was shaped by a desire to explore grief through emotional proximity rather than distance.

The novel follows Sybil, a character whose life is deeply affected by the death of her son Gilbert, who died years before the events of the book. The theme of parental loss became more personal for the author during the writing process after the six-year-old son of close friends died.

The experience influenced the emotional direction of the book, as the author said the tragedy created a deeper understanding of the impact of losing a child and the consequences such a loss can have on a family.While writing, she said she felt she could understand the experience “as closely as I could without it being my own”.

When she returned to the manuscript, the reality of her friends’ loss affected the way she viewed every part of the story.She sought permission from the child’s parents to acknowledge him in the book. The family agreed, and she later said the recognition of his existence through the novel had become one of the most meaningful aspects of its reception.

The author’s approach to writing about grief differed from some other writers who have explored similar themes. Another novelist delayed writing a work about the death of a young child until her own son had passed the age at which the fictional child died. In contrast, the author of “The Correspondent” chose to write the loss of a child of the same age as her own son at the time.

She said a discussion with another writer about the idea of writing not only what one knows but also what one fears influenced her thinking. She concluded that fear could be as vivid and emotionally powerful as personal experience.“I could only write that grief accurately by trying to get as close to the thing as I could,” she said.

The novel also reflects the importance of letters and correspondence, a theme connected to the author’s own life. She grew up in Maryland as one of three siblings in a household that was not particularly focused on books, but she developed a long-standing habit of writing letters, especially to writers whose work she admired.

That interest in correspondence influenced the structure and emotional atmosphere of the novel. She formed a friendship with one writer after years of exchanging letters and described physical letters as valuable objects that preserve a connection between people.“I love to receive a letter,” she said. “It’s like an artefact.

I have some letters that are real treasures.”The novel includes imagined letters from two well-known writers. The author said she approached those fictional elements carefully because both writers had been known for responding to readers, and she wanted the imagined correspondence to be consistent with their published work.

Following the book’s success, she has received a large number of letters from readers and now requires assistance in responding to them.Although the novel addresses difficult subjects, she said she wanted the story to contain a sense of renewal rather than ending in despair. She described the book as combining grief and disappointment with themes of forgiveness and hope.She said many novels leave readers with a feeling of bleakness, but she wanted this story to move in a different direction.

The author believes the positive response to the book may partly reflect a wider interest in stories that include optimism alongside hardship. She said themes of redemption can sometimes be viewed as less common in contemporary fiction, but the reaction to the novel suggested that readers continue to value such ideas.“It says something really beautiful to me that so many people were willing to entertain my book,” she said.

The success of “The Correspondent” has allowed her to focus on writing as a full-time career. However, she continues to maintain a structured routine, usually writing for a few hours after her children leave for school.She has also created a dedicated workspace, something she had wanted for years, and described having a private area for writing as an important change.

The author is now working on another novel, this time centred on the process of making a film. Despite the commercial success of her latest book, she said she still finds it difficult to fully accept the change in her professional circumstances.She recalled recently asking her agent whether the new project would succeed, only to be reminded that the response to her previous work had changed expectations.

The story of “The Correspondent” has connected with readers because of its focus on ordinary human experiences: the way people remember those they have lost, the importance of communication and the possibility of moving forward after personal tragedy.

The incident unfolded on Saturday evening when a man identified by police as 21-year-old Nasire Best allegedly fired toward a security checkpoint near the White House. Secret Service personnel returned fire, striking the suspect, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The unidentified bystander sustained a gunshot wound during the exchange of fire. Officials said the injury was not considered life-threatening, though authorities have not determined whether the individual was struck by the suspect’s gunfire or during the officers’ response.

The United States Secret Service said no officers were injured. Secret Service Director Sean Curran expressed concern for the wounded civilian and said the agency hoped for a full recovery.
President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time of the shooting, according to officials.
Authorities have released limited information regarding the motive behind the attack. In a post on his social media platform, Trump said the suspect appeared to have a “possible obsession” with the White House and linked the incident to his broader calls for expanded security measures around the presidential complex.

The president has requested congressional funding for a major security expansion of the White House campus, including the construction of a large ballroom and additional protective infrastructure. Following the shooting, Trump argued that enhanced facilities would contribute to future presidential security.

Court records show Best had a previous encounter with law enforcement near the White House in July 2025. During that incident, he was arrested after allegedly attempting to enter White House grounds near another checkpoint, ignoring police orders and making statements claiming he was Jesus Christ.

Investigators are reviewing the latest shooting as concerns grow over a series of security incidents near the president. The attack marked the third shooting-related episode in the vicinity of Trump within the past month.

In April, an armed individual breached security at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, while earlier this month Secret Service officers shot and wounded another man following a confrontation near the Washington Monument.

Best graduated from Dundalk High School in Maryland in 2023 and had previously participated in track and field athletics. In comments reported by U.S. media, a woman identifying herself as his mother said she learned of the shooting through social media and disputed portrayals of her son as a violent person.

The shooting remains under investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia and federal authorities.