The suspect who shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown hotel may have left a cryptic message on the bullets used in the attack. Cops are probing the possibility that the words “deny,” “depose,” and “defend” were engraved on the live rounds and shell casings found at the scene after the masked shooter killed Thompson, 50, before fleeing.
The words appear to be a possible attack on the health insurance industry, where Thompson was a powerful leader, and are eerily similar to those found in a 2010 book that criticized the industry. Thompson was shot dead on Wednesday around 6:45 am and the gunman is still on the loose.
Cryptic Message Decoded
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“Delay, Deny, Defend” — two of the three words seemingly left — is sub-titled: “Why insurance companies don’t pay claims and what you can do about it.” Police are exploring potential connections to the book, as well as broader references to the healthcare sector, as a possible motive for the attack, sources informed The New York Post.
The author of the book, Jay M. Feinman, a respected professor emeritus at Rutgers Law School, chose not to comment on the matter on Thursday morning.
NYPD
Police recovered three live 9mm rounds and three spent casings outside the Hilton hotel on Sixth Avenue, where Thompson, from Minnesota, was scheduled to lead an investors’ conference that morning, according to law enforcement officials.
Sources revealed that several of the piece of evidence each contained one word, suggesting the killer might have been trying to send a message as authorities work to determine a motive.
Thompson’s estranged wife, Paulette “Pauley” Thompson, 51, shared with NBC News shortly after the murder that the CEO had been receiving “some threats.” “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage?” she said, suggesting it was tied to her husband’s job.
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“I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
The masked assailant used a silencer and appeared to be an experienced marksman, according to surveillance footage obtained by The Post.
Cold-Blooded Pre-Planned Murder
The footage shows the shooter calmly waiting outside the upscale hotel for his target—the CEO, who earns nearly $9.9 million annually—before he calmly fired multiple shots at close range, causing Thompson to stumble and fall.
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Despite the gun jamming, the calculated and methodical assailant quickly cleared the malfunction and continued firing as Thompson, unable to escape, tried to crawl away, sources and the footage revealed.
The gunman later fled into an alley and hopped on an e-bike, riding north along Sixth Avenue before entering Central Park, where surveillance coverage is limited, according to police.
However, the suspect may have made critical errors that could help investigators in tracking him down.
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Before the shooting, he bought coffee, a bottle of water, and two PowerBars at a nearby Starbucks. He then discarded the coffee cup and bottle in a trash can, which police later retrieved as part of their evidence, sources reported.
Investigators also found a phone in an alley near the Hilton Hotel, which they believe belongs to the shooter. They have since secured a search warrant to examine the phone’s contents. This collection of evidence could provide crucial insights into the motive behind the execution-style shooting.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said during a press conference, ” Based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear that the victim was specifically targeted.”
Thompson, who led the nation’s largest private health insurance company, was no stranger to controversy due to his company’s history of denying customer claims. His leadership was also under scrutiny with an ongoing Department of Justice antitrust investigation.
Despite the controversies, Thompson was a well-respected figure in the industry, a devoted husband, and father of two sons from Minnesota.
NYPD
After being shot, he was rushed to Mount Sinai West Hospital, where he was declared dead at 7:12 a.m., police confirmed.
A source told The New York Post that UnitedHealthcare informed authorities that Thompson had received threats, though the source mentioned that such threats are not unusual for someone in his position within the healthcare industry.
A manhunt for the gunman is currently underway, with the NYPD offering a $10,000 reward for any information that could lead to an arrest.
