By The Associated Press’s Michael Balsamos, Jake Offenhardt, and Michael R. Sisak
NEW YORK (AP) According to a law enforcement official on Thursday, the masked shooter who ambushed and murdered the head of one of the biggest health insurance firms in the United States on a Manhattan sidewalk used ammunition bearing the slogans “deny, defend, and depose.”
The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, was not permitted to publicly discuss specifics of the current inquiry.
Outside a Manhattan hotel where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was hosting an investor conference on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, the suspect, left, is seen in this still shot from CCTV footage that the Associated Press was able to obtain. (AP Image)AP
Brian Thompson, 50, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was killed in a dawn ambush on Wednesday while he was making his way to the company’s annual investor meeting at a Midtown Hilton hotel, which is close to popular tourist destinations including the Museum of Modern Art and Radio City Music Hall.
The ammunition’s text might have alluded to tactics insurance firms employ in an effort to evade paying claims.
As previously stated by NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, investigators found a cellphone in the alleyway the shooter escaped via and multiple 9 mm round casings outside the hotel.
Numerous surveillance cameras in that area of the city recorded the murder as well as the actions of the gunman in the minutes leading up to and following the incident.
According to the official, investigators think the gunman had at least some prior firearms training and expertise, and the weapon had a silencer, based on security footage and evidence gathered from the scene.
According to the official, investigators are also investigating whether the suspect had a bike set up in advance as part of an escape strategy. The suspect was last observed cycling into Central Park after escaping on a bicycle.
According to the official, authorities were analyzing fingerprints and DNA from objects discovered nearby, including a water bottle, that they think the suspect may have thrown away.
The shooter approached Thompson from behind, leveled his weapon, and fired multiple times, barely stopping to break a momentary gun jam as the dying health executive fell to the ground, according to security camera footage.
The suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is seen in this photo from the New York City Police Department. The incident occurred on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, outside a hotel in Manhattan where the health insurer was hosting an investor conference. (AP via the New York City Police Department)AP
The shooting was not a random act of violence, according to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, even if detectives had not yet determined a motive.
Tisch stated at a news conference on Wednesday that although the suspect was passed by several individuals, he seemed to wait for his intended target.
Kenny stated that based on the footage, it appears that he is skilled with firearms because he was able to rapidly fix the problems.
The individual, who was wearing a hooded jacket and a mask that covered most of his face and wouldn’t have drawn attention on a cold winter day, was included in multiple security photos released by the police. Shortly before the shooting, several of the pictures were taken in a Starbucks coffee shop.
A reward of up to $10,000 was given by the police department for information that resulted in an arrest and conviction.
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