There is a manhunt in New York for the person who killed Brian Thompson of UnitedHealth

On Thursday, New York City police were looking for the man who killed Brian Thompson, the new tab executive for UnitedHealth (UNH.N), in a heinous attack outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan before escaping into Central Park.

On Wednesday morning, Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth’s insurance division, was shot from behind in what authorities said was a targeted assault by a masked attacker who was waiting in wait. It happened at the Hilton on Sixth Avenue, right before the company’s yearly investor meeting.

The shot shells discovered at the scene were engraved with the phrases “deny,” “defend,” and “depose,” according to police sources who spoke to ABC and the New York Post. Reuters has not confirmed that information on its own.

These remarks remind me of the title of a 2010 book that was critical of the insurance business and was named “Delay Deny Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.” When contacted by Reuters, the author, Jay Feinman, an emeritus professor at Rutgers University Law School, said via email, “Sorry, no comment.”

Authorities have requested the public’s assistance in identifying and tracking down the culprit after releasing a new image on Thursday that clearly shows his face, one day after they first published images of his face partially hidden by a ski mask.

CNN stated that police also raided a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side where the suspect is thought to have been staying.

Police authorities stated at a press briefing on Wednesday that investigators were still searching for a motive.

“Every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack,” Jessica Tisch, the commissioner of city police in New York City, told reporters on Wednesday.
According to security footage, the shooter behind 50-year-old Thompson raised his gun and started shooting at his back. According to police, the shooter, who ignored other onlookers, arrived outside the hotel a few minutes before Thompson and waited for him to pass before opening fire.

Police claimed the guy ran on foot, mounted an electric bike, and rode into Central Park while sporting a gray bag, a hooded sweatshirt, and the ski mask.

Several photos of the suspect, captured by local video cameras, were released by the police. One showed the guy running on a bike and another with the pistol up and aimed at Thompson.

The city’s extensive camera network, which was mostly constructed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, allows authorities to monitor the whereabouts of suspects.

A few blocks away, near Rockefeller Center, the murder occurred on the morning of the city’s yearly Christmas tree lighting. The event proceeded according to schedule despite strict security.

Tens of millions of Americans receive benefits from UnitedHealth, the biggest health insurer in the United States, who pay more for healthcare than citizens in any other nation. As the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group, since April 2021, Thompson is a father of two.

For months now, the business has been dealing with the aftermath of a large data breach at its Change Healthcare division, which supplies technology to U.S. healthcare providers and disrupted patient care and physician reimbursement.

A later biography taken down from UnitedHealth’s website stated that Thompson had been employed there since 2004 in a number of divisions.

“Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him,” the business said in a statement.

In a video message to staff members on Wednesday, Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, revealed Thompson’s passing and described him as a “truly extraordinary person.” “The company lowered flags on campus to half-staff at its headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota,” a representative told Reuters.

Although she stated she was unaware of the specifics, Thompson’s wife, Paulette, told NBC News on Wednesday that he had been getting threats about his work.

She subsequently released a statement saying, “Brian was an extraordinarily loving, giving, and gifted man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives.” “Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and will be greatly missed.”

Theresa Keehn, the police administrator in Maple Grove, Minnesota, where Thompson resided, told Reuters that there had been one instance of “suspicious activity” at his residence in June 2018, but no threats had been made against him.

Paulette Thompson saw the deadbolt on their home door change while she was getting ready for bed, according to the police report. She “terrified” herself by hiding in the bathroom, but no one was on the property and no evidence of an attempted break-in was discovered by the police.