The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were reportedly discovered by detectives on shell casings found at the scene where UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot, police sources told ABC News.
The chilling detail emerged as the shooting suspect remains at large after what NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described as a “brazen, targeted attack” during a press conference on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Thompson, 50, was shot just before 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4, outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel. The masked gunman was “lying in wait” outside the building according to Tisch. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny added that the gunman appeared to be “proficient” in the use of firearms.
According to ABC News, NYPD detectives are working to establish whether the words found on the casing were meant as a message from the shooting suspect and a hint at their motive.
UnitedHealth Group
Brian Thompson
Thompson was in New York City for an investors’ conference taking place at the hotel, NYPD officials said at a press conference on Wednesday morning.
Police have said the partially-masked suspect fled towards Central Park on an electric Citi Bike after firing at least three shots at the healthcare executive and hitting him from behind in the back and leg. NYPD officials confirmed Thompson was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
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The suspect remains at large as of Wednesday afternoon. He is described as a light-skinned male wearing a brown or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and a “very distinctive grey backpack,” Kenny said. Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
Related: Newly-Released Photos Show Face of Brian Thompson Shooting Suspect, as Killer Remains at Large
In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), the NYPD shared three photos of the partially-masked suspect, urging anyone with information to contact police at 1-800-577-TIPS. Although police did not reveal the location where the images were taken, a law enforcement source told the New York Times that the gunman had visited a Starbucks located about two blocks away from the scene of the shooting.
Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg/Getty
New York Hilton Midtown in New York City
Thompson’s wife Paulette told NBC News that her husband had been the subject of threats before he embarked on his trip to New York. Thompson, who joined UnitedHealth Group in 2004 and became CEO in 2021, lived in Minnesota with his wife and their two children, according to Local Channel2 Now.
UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, said in a statement it is “deeply saddened and shocked” by the passing of their “highly respected colleague.”
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