According to the CEO of United Healthcare Brian Thompson was dejected outside a Manhattan hotel Wednesday morning in a “brazen targeted attack”, clues quickly emerged.
Surveillance video appears to show the shooter leaving a nearby subway station at 6:15 a.m. and purchasing two energy bars, as well as a bottle of water, at a nearby Starbucks. CNN reported.
Moments later, the suspect, wearing a brown jacket, face mask and gray backpack, is recorded walking near a deli and, around 6:30 a.m., appears use the phone, as shown on video surveillance. About half an hour after leaving the subway, video shows him walking to the hotel where Thompson was going for United’s annual investor conference and waiting outside.
The suspect approached Thompson from behind and opened fire, then approached him and continued shooting, continuing his rampage even after stopping to repair a jam. The shooter crossed the street, ducked into an alley and hopped on an electric bike. He then headed north toward Central Park.
As police canvassed the scene and intensified their search efforts, the plethora of evidence grew. Police sources indicated New York Post that the bullets used in Thompson’s death appeared to be emblazoned with the words “deny,” “depose” and “defend.”
As these words are similar to book 2010 Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Aren’t Paying Claims and What You Can Do About It They raised the question of whether this shooting was related to criticism of the health insurance industry.
Police reportedly discovered a bottle of water and a cell phone in the alley through which the shooter fled. The best clue may have emerged at an Upper West Side inn, thanks to surveillance video. He lowered his mask, in what CNN described as a “flirting moment», and gave a broad smile to an employee.
Despite numerous surveillance images, decorated bullets and physical evidence, the shooter remains unidentified and on the loose for a crime committed in one of the most heavily policed cities in this country. In fact, police said Friday that investigators believe the shooter fled. new York City, according to the Associated Press.
His motive remains unknown, and speculation is rife: Was the shooting a professional hit, or was the killer simply unhappy with an unpopular health insurer? Or are there other reasons still unknown?
Other high-profile killings offer lessons not to jump to conclusions after spawning erroneous theories about motive. Bob Lee, founder of Cash App Killing of 2023 in San Francisco gave rise to theories about homeless killers and commentary about violent urban crime. But the accused killer, Nima Momeni, was a consultant who prosecutors say wanted to avenge an attack on her sister by Lee’s alleged drug dealer, to whom he believed the tech guru had introduced her. The jurors are deliberating in this case.
In New York CityAnthony Comello was charged with the 2019 murder of Francesco “Franky Boy” Cali, an alleged leader of the Gambino mafia family. Before Comello’s arrest, his death had sparked concerns about the possibility of a people’s war. It turned out the suspect thought he was helping Donald Trump and believed Cali was part of the “deep state.”
Vernon J Geberth, a retired NYPD lieutenant commander who wrote Practical Homicide Investigation, widely considered the founding manual for murder investigations, does not believe the suspect is a professional killer.
“It’s too personal, from my point of view,” said Geberth, who is not involved in the investigation but offers his perspective based on his years of experience. “Just leaving some of these clues is like someone making a statement.
“Professionals don’t make statements – they just do their job. »
While there is plenty of evidence, Geberth said, it doesn’t necessarily lead to an immediate arrest of a suspect. The police could, for example, collect fingerprints and DNA from a water bottle or a cell phone, but this will not lead to a suspect if this information is not in a database to which the police order have access.
“This person could be someone who has never committed a crime in their life,” Geberth said. “If you’re not in the system, you’re not in the system.”
Geberth said he believes the killer will be caught because images of the suspect’s face are now publicly available across America and the world.
“His face is all over TV right now, there’s a $10,000 reward,” Geberth said. “Someone, somewhere is going to know about it because this case is covered internationally.”
Mary Ellen O’Toole, who worked as an FBI profiler to capture the Unabomber killer, said the killer showed dedicated behavior but made some mistakes.
Looking at the initial set of facts, “that tells me the shooter did some homework – quite a bit of planning.” O’Toole noted that the shooting took place outside a large hotel, with multiple entrances, but he still knew how to make contact with the victim.
“Where did he get this information?” We don’t know.
O’Toole also noted that the weapon was equipped with a silencer, which is placed on the barrel of the weapon to make the shot less audible.
“The shooter appeared to have planned an outdoor shooting. Unless you’re good at sound, it might draw attention to you,” O’Toole said. “At the same time, having a suppressor on a firearm in this shooter’s mind could have been a good thing, so it’s not just necessary. be one way or the other.
Among the most interesting aspects for O’Toole: The shooter maintained his composure when his gun jammed, which can be difficult even for trained law enforcement professionals.
“When you’re at the range, sometimes when people’s guns jam, it can be aggravating, it can be stressful, it can make you angry,” O’Toole said. “If you watch the video of the shooter, there’s none of that.
“There was no conversation between the shooter and the victim. He didn’t come there to have a conversation – he came there to kill a CEO.
As for the evidence left at the scene, O’Toole believes investigators are keeping an open mind about the fact that the suspect left behind shell casings and bullets, as well as a water bottle nearby.
“They view, I’m sure, that these were left there as a ruse or that he let his guard down,” O’Toole said. “A good analyst or a good investigator will not lock themselves into a single theory. » Mayor of New York City Eric Adamswho is under indictment for alleged corruption and campaign contribution crimes, said Friday that police were working quickly to arrest the killer.
“When you look at the number of hours that have passed since the shooting of a fully masked individual and the need to bring him to justice, you realize how quickly the New York City Police Department is evolving,” Adams said during from the 1010 WINS Morning Drive radio show.
“Clearly this was not a random act. Our preliminary investigation considers this to be a targeted shooting, but we are close to apprehending him and removing this dangerous person from the streets of our country.
Associated Press contributed to this report