NY - UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot in Midtown. #2

[Bridger]

It jammed because of the suppressor. It didn't faze him. The jamming may even have been expected.

Not sure of your point. Mine is that this shooter was clearly NOT prepared to take out multiple security forces. He was lucky to get just one guy.

 

[bossman]

Because hie weapon was extremely unreliable and jammed at least three times?

This May Come To My Conclusion That He Might Of Used The World War 2 Gun Called Welrod Which Was Used By British People In The War. It May Of Jammed Because It Is Old And He Has Been Planning This For Some Time.

 

[TTF14]

I share your doubts.

As @Millhouse stated, it is not uncommon for big wigs to arrive early to personally greet and welcome other VIPS, exchange gossip etc.

Likewise, I really doubt CEOs do a whole lot of "setting up" of anything (exceptions do exist).

Ordering, directing, leading, facilitating meetings?- yes absolutely. "Setting up" whether it be moving tables or arranging speaking orders and topics are probably done alot further down the food chain than the CEO.

Heck, even "organizing" is probably done further down the food chain.

Yeah, I think he would just be there early as the "face" of the meeting/company. In a former life, I participated in a lot of meetings/trainings/conferences....I recall once being scolded for moving a table instead of calling facilities management to do it...they were union workers and it was against some policy for anyone else to move tables.

I'm surprised that a hit man, if that's what this was, would even recognize him - at least confidently enough to shoot him...in the BACK! I wonder if there's a chance it could be a case of mistaken identity. Because of the bullet casings/words on them, even if that was the case, the target had to be someone who was attending that meeting. But...yeah...how was he so sure he had the right guy? He's pretty ordinary looking to me.

As always, JMO.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

I have created an updated timeline of events as well as a map which shows all known locations as well as confirmed and suspected routes the suspect took before and after the murder. Will continue to update as more info becomes available.

Brian Thompson Killing - Google My Maps

Brian Thompson Killing

www.google.com

Updated Timeline (as of 1:45pm, Dec. 5)
Specific time unknown: Gunman is seen on surveillance video on the Upper West Side carrying what appears to be a battery for an electric bike
Specific time unknown: Suspect checks out of the hostel HI NYC Hostel on Amsterdam Avenue and 104th Street

Around 5am: Suspect is seen on CCTV at the Frederick Douglass Houses, a housing project situated between 100th and 104th streets between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues.

Specific time unknown: Suspect is captured on CCTV entering Central Park near the Frederick Douglass Houses.

6:15am: Gunman is captured on surveillance camera exiting the 57th Street F train stop

6:17am: Gunman purchases a water bottle and two power bars at the Starbucks at 56th Street and 6th Avenue

6:39am: Gunman arrives on foot outside one of the side entrances on 54th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues

6:44am: Thompson is shot on 54th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, outside one of the side entrances to the Hilton

6:46am: Police respond to a 911 call reporting that someone had been shot in front of the Hilton located on 6th Avenue between 53rd and 54th streets.

6:48am: Officers arrive on scene outside Hilton

6:48am: Gunman is seen riding a bike on Center Drive in Central Park

Before 7am: Suspect is captured on CCTV riding westbound on 84th Street after exiting Central Park. He is no longer wearing the backpack.

7:12am: Thompson is pronounced dead at Mount Sinai West, 58th Street and 10th Avenue

 

[Sundog]

dbm

 

[Calisto]

So, let me get this straight ~ the gunman went to the assassination prepared to very likely having to go to war with a security detail (possibly numbering ten people !!!) ??? The gunman had no way of knowing that the CEO would take the one in a million route of opting to blow off his security detail that particular morning.

 

[eloquence]

What about an investor? Would small investors also be informed of that meeting? Or was it just for the major investors to attend?

As someone who plans investor days in another industry - usually only the largest, major shareholders (top 100 or so). These are institutions where the IR and executive team would know the representatives well. The general public can watch online but are not invited in person

 

[PrairieWind]

Because hie weapon was extremely unreliable and jammed at least three times?

The shooter's weapon performed exactly as the shooter intended and expected it to perform. IMO

 

[TTF14]

IMO, this case seems atypical of most murders. I don't want to rule any possibilities out, but with the etching of the words (delay, defend, depose) on the shell casings, my best guess is lone vigilante fixated on this particular healthcare CEO. But nothing would surprise me.

I agree, but that could be staging, too. Staging is done to throw LE in a different/false direction.

 

[Charlot123]

I know it isn't him for obvious reasons, but he looks like Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston bomber.

Different personality. Dzokhar was somewhat avoidant and dependent.

But I agree. Yesterday I typed something and didn't post it. The nasal bridge and the splay of eyebrows didn't look Russian to me. He looked like a mix - someone European + Turkish, for example. But for all I know, he can be just Italian. Or whatever.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I also wonder whether it's not such a close timing as has been suggested, with the shooter showing up just minutes before and casually taking the time to stop at Starbucks on the way in.

Maybe the shooting was intended to be inside the hotel a bit later, but the shooter found an earlier opportunity when his target happened to walk past him before even entering the building?

MOO

 

[bossman]

The shooter's weapon performed exactly as the shooter intended and expected it to perform. IMO

Correct But It Did Malfunction. It Was A Easy Fix Because The Gun He Used Was Used In WW2

 

[Bridger]

I'm surprised that a hit man, if that's what this was, would even recognize him - at least confidently enough to shoot him...in the BACK! I wonder if there's a chance it could be a case of mistaken identity. Because of the bullet casings/words on them, even if that was the case, the target had to be someone who was attending that meeting. But...yeah...how was he so sure he had the right guy? He's pretty ordinary looking to me.

Absolutely--I am not convinced that the shooter intentionally targeted Thompson.

 

[Elley Mae]

This can’t be the weapon. Ammunition for this is .32 ACP

It’s been reported the ammunition used was 9mm

The 9mm original production Welrod’s suppressor contains two rubber baffles, while the .32 model has three.

The UGLIEST 60 Year Old Gun I Ever Saw: The Welrod Suppressed Pistol - Small Arms Review

That’s not some modern soldering technique, it’s the name of this heavy, ugly, silenced single shot pistol of WWII vintage that has been accountable for the demise of a lot of Britain’s enemies, in war, peace and semi-war. Although primarily a British weapon, the Welrod was also used by our OSS...

smallarmsreview.com

 

[PrairieWind]

Correct But It Did Malfunction. It Was A Easy Fix Because The Gun He Used Was Used In WW2

Are you saying you know the make/model of the gun?

 

[Lore Listener]

I'm not accusing the wife at all, but a spouse being responsible for murder isn't all that far fetched. Just the opposite, in my opinion. Most murder victims are killed by people they know, and murder for hire, even by a woman (hello Donna Adelson), isn't unheard of.

As always, IMO.

I don't know if anyone else has been listening to the podcast "Kill List," but people attempting to hire someone to kill a current or former partner is upsettingly common. I also attend the Colorado Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board meetings for my work, and people killing a current or former partner themselves is even MORE distressingly common.

Like you, I am not casting aspersions on the wife. But romantic partners are logically among the first LE should investigate, even if just to rule them out.

 

[Sundog]

It’s a fairly typical CEO pay of large listed company … prob very similar to his peers in healthcare/insurance.

And in many other industries and/or professions.

 

[armchairagatha]

Absolutely--I am not convinced that the shooter intentionally targeted Thompson.

No, he was targeted. You can’t explain the bullet casing words otherwise. If that was a red herring to throw LE off the scent and down a wrong path, it backfired. Too theatrical and now it is clear he was targeted and this was not a random shooting.

 

[bossman]

Are you saying you know the make/model of the gun?

Yes It Is Called Welrod Used In WW2

 

[DS2021]

Correct But It Did Malfunction. It Was A Easy Fix Because The Gun He Used Was Used In WW2

That gun posted up thread didnt use the type of bullets that were used to kill him