The gunman who assassinated UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown wrote the words “Delay,” “Deny,” and “Defend” — a supposed insurance industry mantra for delaying claims and maximizing profits — on the ammunition he fired at the insurance company head, police sources said Thursday.
Cops found three 9mm shell casings as well as a few live rounds that had been expelled from the pistol as he freed the jam. “Delay, “Deny,” and “Defend” were etched on the bullets, sources said — leading investigators to theorize the gunman may have been outraged at how UnitedHealthcare handled an insurance claim of his or someone close to him.
Word of the eerie message comes as NYPD detectives continued their manhunt and zeroed in on the suspect. On Wednesday night, police executed a search warrant on an Upper West Side home they believe the gunman had visited before the early morning shooting, according to multiple sources.
“They have an idea who he is,” an NYPD source said about the gunman. “A lot of tips are coming in.”
The home police raided was in the West 90s near Columbus Ave., police sources said. Detectives managed to track the gunman there before the 6:45 a.m. shooting outside a Hilton hotel in Midtown.
Thompson, 50, a married father of two from Minnetonka, Minn., was walking to the Residences Hilton Club on W. 54th St. near Sixth Ave. to help set up an investor conference sponsored by the health insurance giant when the gunman opened fire from a few feet away. The CEO was expected to give a speech at the event, officials said.
The gunman, who was dressed in a black sweatshirt, a black face mask, black-and-white sneakers, and was sporting a large gray backpack, had been laying in wait and crept up behind Thompson before shooting him, police said.
The shooting was caught on surveillance camera, and the NYPD released images of the suspected gunman holding a pistol equipped with what appears to be a silencer, and another of him riding away from the scene on a bicycle.
“Based on the evidence so far, it does appear that the victim was specifically targeted, but we do not know why,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Wednesday. “This does not appear to be a random act of violence.”
During the killing, the pistol jammed, but the gunman was able to clear the jam and kept firing before running off.
EMS rushed the CEO to Mount Sinai West, where he died of his wounds at about 7:12 a.m., police said.
Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that the CEO had received threats before his trip to New York.
Barry Williams/New York Daily News
NYPD officers and detectives investigate the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, outside the Hilton Club Residences at 1335 Sixth Ave. Wednesday. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)
“There had been some threats,” she told the outlet. “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.”
The gunman sped away on a Citi Bike and disappeared into Central Park.
As of Thursday morning, no arrests have been made.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information regarding the gunman’s identity.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
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