Police Find 3 Soothing Words From Bullet Casings Used by CEO Brian Thompson: Report
The words “deny,” “protect” and “liberate” were reportedly found by detectives on shell casings found at the scene of the shooting death of UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson, police sources told ABC News.
The tragic details came as the shooter remains at large after what NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described as a “targeted attack” during a press conference on Wednesday, December 4.
Thompson, 50, was shot just before 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, December 4, outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel. A masked gunman was “lurking” outside the building according to Tisch. Detective Superintendent Joseph Kenny added that the gunman appeared to be “skilled” in the use of firearms.
According to ABC News, NYPD detectives are working to determine if the words found in the case were recorded as a message from the suspected shooter and an indication of their motive.
UnitedHealth Group
Brian Thompson
Thompson was in New York City for an investor conference taking place at the hotel, NYPD officials said at a press conference Wednesday morning.
Police said the partially masked suspect fled toward Central Park on a Citi Bike after shooting at least three times at a health worker, hitting him in the back and leg. NYPD officials confirmed that Thompson was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
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The suspect is still at large as of Wednesday afternoon. He is described as a light-skinned man wearing a brown or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and “a very distinctive gray backpack,” Kenny said. Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Related: Newly Released Photos Show Brian Thompson Shooting Suspect’s Face, As Killer Remains At Large
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the NYPD shared three photos of the partially masked suspect, urging anyone with information to contact police at 1-800-577-TIPS. Although the police did not disclose the location where the photos were taken, a police source told the newspaper New York Times that the gunman was visiting a Starbucks located about two blocks from where the shooting took place.
Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg/Getty
New York Hilton Midtown in New York City
Thompson’s wife Paulette told NBC News that her husband had been receiving threats before he began 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 that it was “deeply saddened and shocked” by the passing of a “highly respected colleague.”
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