Authorities Issue Update On CEO’s Murder As Shocking New Details Emerge
Authorities have issued a major update on the murder of CEO Brian Thompson.
The UnitedHealthcare CEO, 50, was fatally shot on December 4 outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
He was scheduled to speak at an investor conference.
As the case remains ongoing, law enforcement officials have revealed there’s been a huge development.
Police believe the shooter traveled to New York on November 24 via a bus originating from Atlanta. It’s unclear when exactly he boarded.
He reportedly stayed at an Upper West Side hostel, leaving on November 29 and using a fake New Jersey ID to check back in on November 30.
His whereabouts from this date to the day of the shooting are currently unclear.
The shooter reportedly hid behind a car outside the Hilton hotel for approximately five minutes when Thompson exited.
Police say he was wearing a black hoodie and pants, and carrying a gray backpack.
Wearing a mask, the gunman approached the CEO from behind and shot him in the right calf and back. The 50-year-old was not robbed.
Video footage shows a bystander running away as the suspect opened fire.
New York Police Department’s Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters: “The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears that the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again.”
Thompson was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai West, a local hospital.
The assailant is believed to have used a silencer, a device that reduces the sound of a gunshot.
He reportedly fled the scene on foot, before mounting an e-bike through Central Park and taking a taxi towards a bus terminal, where it’s believed he boarded a bus.
Law enforcement says they’re examining whether three words are related to a possible motive, potentially involving how insurance companies respond to policyholders’ claims.
The words ‘deny’, ‘defend,’ and ‘depose’ were meticulously written in Sharpie on bullet casings found at the scene, reports CBS News.
Investigators believe this may be linked to the ‘three D’s of insurance’ coined by the industry’s critics: ‘delay,’ ‘deny’ and ‘defend.’
UnitedHealthcare is an American multinational health insurance and services company.
Thompson’s wife, Paulette, told NBC News her husband was receiving threatening messages before his tragic death but was unsure of their nature.
“There had been some threats,” she said. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
Despite these alleged threats, Thompson didn’t travel with security.
Dt. Kenny told reporters: “Speaking to other employees that traveled with him to New York, it doesn’t seem like he had a security detail.
“He left the hotel by himself, was walking, didn’t seem like he had any issues at all.”
Two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News a gray backpack was located in Central Park – potentially the one carried by the suspected shooter.
Sources reportedly told the outlet that the bag contained a jacket and Monopoly money, but it did not contain a gun.
Now it’s been revealed a 26-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting.
Luigi Mangione was taken into custody at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a customer recognized him.
According to police, a handwritten document indicating ‘motivation and mindset’ was found in his possession.
Mangione later appeared in a Pennsylvania court to be arraigned on five initial counts and was denied bail. A prosecutor said a homicide charge is expected to be filed soon.
Officials say the 26-year-old stopped cooperating after being detained.
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