Because the investigation right into a masked gunman who stalked and killed the head of one of the largest U.S. health insurers moved into its third day Friday, potential leads emerged about his journey earlier than the capturing and a message scrawled on ammunition discovered on the crime scene.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed in a dawn ambush Wednesday as he walked from his midtown resort to the corporate’s annual investor convention throughout the road, blocks from vacationer attracts akin to Radio Metropolis Music Corridor and Rockefeller Heart.
However days later, the gunman was nonetheless at giant and the rationale for the killing remained unknown, with New York Metropolis police saying proof firmly factors to it being a focused assault.
Investigators labored to piece collectively extra of the timeline of the gunman’s whereabouts earlier than the capturing, look at safety digital camera footage and even take a look at a discarded water bottle and protein bar wrapper in a hunt for his DNA.
The phrases “deny,” “defend” and “depose” had been discovered emblazoned on the ammunition, echoing a phrase utilized by insurance coverage trade critics, two legislation enforcement officers mentioned Thursday, chatting with The Related Press on the situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to publicly focus on particulars of the investigation.
The messages mimic the phrase “delay, deny, defend,” which is usually utilized by legal professionals and insurance coverage trade critics to explain ways used to keep away from paying claims. It refers to insurers delaying fee, denying a declare after which defending their actions. Well being insurers like UnitedHealthcare have change into frequent targets of criticism from docs and sufferers for denying claims or complicating entry to care.
Investigators additionally now imagine the suspect might have traveled to New York final month on a bus that originated in Atlanta, one of many legislation enforcement officers mentioned.
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Police and federal brokers have been gathering info from Greyhound in an try and establish the suspect and are working to find out whether or not he bought the ticket to New York in late November, the official mentioned.
Investigators had been additionally attempting to acquire extra info from a cellphone recovered from a pedestrian plaza by means of which the shooter fled.
A tip that the shooter might have stayed at a hostel introduced police Thursday morning to not less than two such institutions on Manhattan’s Higher West Facet, in response to one of many legislation enforcement officers briefed on the investigation. The pictures made public Thursday had been taken within the foyer of the HI New York Metropolis hostel.
“We’re absolutely cooperating with the NYPD and, as that is an lively investigation, can’t remark at the moment,” hostel spokesperson Danielle Brumfitt mentioned in an emailed assertion.
Police launched new pictures Thursday of an individual wished for questioning in reference to Thompson’s killing.
The photographs, displaying an unmasked man smiling within the foyer of a Manhattan hostel, add to a group of pictures and video which have circulated for the reason that capturing — together with footage of the assault itself, in addition to nonetheless frames of the suspected gunman stopping at a Starbucks beforehand.
Investigators imagine the suspect used a pretend New Jersey identification card when he checked in on the hostel, mentioned one of many officers who spoke with the AP.
Staff who work on the hostel advised investigators they remembered a person who nearly all the time wore a masks when interacting with them or passing by the entrance desk. That particular person wore a jacket that seemed just like the one worn by the person pictured in surveillance pictures launched after the capturing, the official mentioned.
After the capturing, police mentioned the gunman fled on a bicycle and was final seen using into Central Park.
Based mostly on surveillance video and proof from the scene, investigators imagine the shooter had not less than some firearms coaching and expertise with weapons and that the weapon was geared up with a silencer, one of many legislation enforcement officers advised the AP.
Investigators had been additionally trying into whether or not the suspect had pre-positioned a motorbike as a part of an escape plan, the official mentioned.
Safety video exhibits the killer approaching Thompson from behind, leveling his pistol and firing a number of photographs, barely pausing to clear a gun jam whereas the manager tumbled to the sidewalk. Cameras confirmed him fleeing the block throughout a pedestrian plaza earlier than getting on the bicycle.
Police launched a number of pictures of the person carrying a hooded jacket and a masks that hid most of his face — a glance that may not have attracted consideration on a cold morning.
This picture offered by the New York Metropolis Police Division exhibits a person wished for questioning in connection to the investigation of the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson exterior a Manhattan resort, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024.
New York Metropolis Police Division through AP
Thompson, a father of two sons who lived in a Minneapolis suburb, had been with Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare since 2004 and served as CEO for greater than three years.
His spouse, Paulette, advised NBC Information on Wednesday that he advised her “there have been some those that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have particulars however prompt the threats might have concerned points with insurance coverage protection.
The insurer’s mum or dad firm, UnitedHealth Group Inc., was holding its annual assembly in New York to replace traders on its route and expectations for the approaching yr. The corporate ended the convention after Thompson’s demise.
UnitedHealthcare gives protection for greater than 49 million Individuals and introduced in additional than $281 billion in income final yr. It’s the largest supplier of Medicare Benefit plans within the U.S. and manages medical insurance protection for employers and state and federally funded Medicaid applications.
In October, UnitedHealthcare was named together with Humana and CVS in a Senate report detailing how its denial charge for prior authorizations for some Medicare Benefit sufferers has surged lately.
Balsamo reported from Washington.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
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