By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-05 18:37:07 | Updated at 2024-12-22 16:43:07
2 weeks ago
The cold-blooded assassination of the CEO of America's largest healthcare insurer in midtown Manhattan sent shockwaves across the controversial industry and captured headlines around the world.
Questions have been asked how the masked gunman who killed Brian Thompson, 50, outside the Hilton Hotel early Wednesday morning seemed to vanish into thin air, despite the Big Apple's widespread surveillance systems.
A frantic manhunt has seen the NYPD attempt to track the killer from the hotel in Midtown to a bike he was believed to have fled on.
Now the police have released new images showing the alleged assassin smiling on surveillance footage.
Cops issued a $10,000 reward hoping to enlist the public in tracking down Thompson's killer as the search enters its second day.
Late on Wednesday detectives revealed their first hint at a motive, saying the assassin left bullet casings reading 'deny', 'defend', and 'depose' - which many linked to a 2010 book by author Jay M. Feinman on the viciousness of the health insurance industry.
The father-of-two's widow Paulette said her husband had been receiving threats in the run up to the shooting, but Thompson chose to travel to New York anyway to head up his company's investors conference.
He was set to announce the company's hugely profitable 2025 financial outlook, including expected revenues upwards of $450 billion.
The NYPD released this grinning snapshot of the man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare boss Brian Thompson
Amid the shock over the 'brazen, targeted' attack, a callous online minority appeared to cheer the death of CEO but were quickly met with a swift backlash.
Here, DailyMail.com takes a look at everything we know about the shooter the manhunt for the killer continues.
What we know about the gunman
As of Thursday morning, the identity of the killer remains unknown, but police have released images showing his face.
Prior to that, they were going off grainy photos taken at a Starbucks before the shooting 'brazen, targeted' shooting.
They showed a white male, wearing a cream-colored jacket, black face mask, black and white sneakers, and a grey backpack.
Police searched a hostel in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan where they believe the suspect had been staying.
Sources told CNN on Thursday morning that detectives obtained a search warrant for a property in the city, with the gun used in the killing bought from a Connecticut store.
The suspect opened fire on Thompson from behind as the CEO was headed into the New York Midtown Hilton hotel
The NYPD is offering a $10,000 reward for anyone with information on the shooter.
A former FBI chief told DailyMail.com that while the suspect was 'proficient', he is unlikely to be a professional hitman based on the way he carried out the attack.
Investigators searching for a motive recovered bullets from the scene which were inscribed with the words, 'depose', 'deny' and 'defend' inscribed on them.
The messages bear similarity to the title of a 2010 book on 'why insurance companies don't pay claims and what you can do about it', called 'Delay, Deny, Defend' by Jay M Feinman.
How the shooting unfolded
Thompson was due to speak at the UnitedHealthcare investor conference in the Hilton's ballroom.
He was not a guest at the hotel, but set off early to prepare for his presentation.
The killer appeared to know which direction he was coming from and was reportedly spotted loitering near the Hilton prior to the attack.
As he was walking towards the hotel's West 54th street entrance at around 6.45am, the killer approached him from behind.
The assassin emerged behind Thompson and shot him in the back with a firearm fixed with a silencer from around 20 feet
The first shot Thompson in the back, causing him to collapse into a doorway as the assassin unloaded several more bullets which struck him in the leg.
The masked gunman used a silencer in the shooting and was seen on surveillance footage fleeing across the street.
He disappeared through a paved seating area onto West 55th street where police said he hopped onto a bike and headed towards Central Park where he subsequently vanished.
Emergency responders performed CPR on Thompson and rushed him to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition where he was later pronounced dead.
What we know about the victim
Thompson is a married father-of-two who lives in a $1.5 million home in Maple Grove, Minnesota.
However he and his wife Paulette Thompson, a physical therapist, are separated.
He became the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in 2021 and earned a reported $10 million a year.
He has been with the company for 20 years, previously serving as CEO for UnitedHealthcare's government programs arm.
UnitedHealthcare employs nearly 140,000 people across the world. Under Thompson's tenure the company has seen a sharp increase in profits.
However, on Thompson's watch, the of the business has attracted scrutiny from the Department of Justice, the New York Times reports.
According to filings, Thompson owned around $20 million in UnitedHealth Group shares at the end of September.
Thompson is a married father-of-two who lived in Maple Grove, Minneapolis
In April he was one of several executives who sold shares before the DOJ probe was announced, Bloomberg reported.
UnitedHealthcare was mentioned in a scathing Senate report which cited a soaring number of denials in post-acute care. Denials leapt from 10.9 percent in 2020 to 22.7 percent in 2022.
Prior to joining the company, Thompson was a certified public accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP having obtained an accountancy degree from the University of Iowa graduate.
Prior to his murder, he had received threats referencing a 'lack of coverage', according to Paulette Thompson.
Reaction and Tributes
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was among those to express their condolences over Thompson's death.
'This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,' Walz, who recently ran for vice president on Kamala Harris' ticket, wrote on X.
'Minnesota is sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.'
Minnesota Senator, Amy Klobuchar, also wrote a tribute to Thompson on X, writing: 'This is a horrifying and shocking act of violence. My thoughts are with Brian Thompson’s family and loved ones and all those working at United Healthcare in Minnesota.'
With the suspect at large, the NYPD has released several sets of images of the gunman, including new shots of him standing by a counter with his face mostly obscured by a balaclava
The suspect was described by authorities as a white male with a grey backpack wearing all black
UnitedHealth Group said the company was 'deeply saddened and shocked' by the news of Thompson's death.
'Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.
'Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him,' the company said.
But among the tributes were some celebrating the CEO's death
