New pics released in search for gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO
Dec 5, 2024, 2:00 PM | Updated: 5:17 pm
These images provided by NYC police shows a man wanted for questioning in connection to the investigation of the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (New York City Police Department via AP)
(New York City Police Department via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — The masked gunman who stalked and killed the leader of UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies, outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” two law enforcement officials said Thursday.
The words were written in permanent marker, according to one of the officials, who were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Police also released photos of a person they said was wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting.
Related: Gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO left message on ammunition
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, died in a dawn ambush Wednesday. He was walking to the company’s annual investor conference at a Hilton hotel in Midtown. This area is just blocks from tourist draws like Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art.
The reason behind the killing remained unknown. But investigators believe it was a targeted attack.
The message left on the ammunition echoes the phrase “delay, deny, defend.” Attorneys and insurance industry critics use the phrase to describe tactics to avoid paying claims. It refers to insurers delaying payment, denying a claim and then defending their actions. Health insurers like UnitedHealthcare have become frequent targets of criticism from doctors and patients for complicating access to care.
Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cellphone from the alleyway through which the shooter fled.
Security cameras captured the killing and the shooter’s movements in the minutes before and afterward.
The hunt for the shooter brought New York City police Thursday morning to at least two hostels on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, based on a tip that the suspected shooter may have stayed at one of the residences, according to one of the law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation.
