According to a senior New York City law enforcement official briefed on the investigation, NBC News confirmed Thursday that shell casings discovered at the scene where a masked shooter killed the UnitedHealthcare CEO in front of a busy hotel in New York City bore the words “deny, defend, and depose.”
According to police, a deliberate, preplanned targeted attack outside the New York Hilton Midtown on Sixth Avenue in the center of Manhattan killed 50-year-old Brian Thompson.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told a news conference Wednesday that the gunman, who had been waiting for many minutes, approached from behind and fired at least once into his back and at least once in his right calf as he was en route to speak at UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference.
Police claim that the gunman is still at large and that they do not yet know his motivation.
The remarks scrawled on the bullet casings were initially reported by ABC News.
Despite knowing threats against him, Thompson did not have a personal security detail with him.
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Paulette Thompson, Thompson’s wife, told NBC News on Wednesday that there had been some threats. Basically, a lack of coverage, I guess? Details are unknown to me. All I know is that he claimed that some individuals had been threatening him.
On security footage, Thompson was seen strolling down the street while wearing a blue suit. It was evident that the shooter had come up behind him and started shooting. A witness fled to safety as Thompson staggered forward. The video showed Thompson falling to the ground as the gunman kept shooting.
“The gunman then approaches the victim and keeps shooting. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny stated, “It looks like the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and starts firing again.”
At Mount Sinai West, Thompson was declared deceased.
Although the reason behind this murder is yet unknown, Kenny told reporters that it seems the victim was singled out based on the evidence they now have. We do not yet know why, though.
According to a senior New York City law enforcement official informed on the inquiry, the gunman bought two protein bars and a water bottle from a nearby Starbucks before the shooting and threw the goods away.
According to the official, authorities gathered the things as evidence in the hopes that it would help with the investigation after recovering a video that showed the suspect’s disposal location.
Rob D. Amico, a former FBI supervisor, stated on Wednesday that Thompson’s murder has all the elements of a personal grudge connected to the victim’s business.
“With a few quick Google searches, anyone could have found the location of the high-ranking business figure,” D Amico said. An investor conference was scheduled on Wednesday, according to UnitedHealthcare’s website, but the location was not specified.
“There is so much on the internet now and people put so much out there that even a layman can find it,” said D Amico, who is currently a security consultant.
According to the insurance behemoth’s two most recent proxy statements, neither current nor previous executives of UnitedHealth Group get regular company-funded personal protection services. If a company’s annual security expenditures for directors or corporate officers surpass $10,000, they must be reported.
In its most recent proxy papers, UnitedHealthcare’s competitors Humana and Cigna also claimed to offer CEOs personal security. However, neither the executives who were granted this protection nor the amount spent were revealed in SEC records.
According to regulatory filings, CVS Health, another significant player in the health insurance market, mandates that its CEO use corporate planes and a corporate driver as part of a stated executive protection program.
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