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

[Lulu777]

MOO- we will learn that this person or a family member had a poor experience with UNH (what are the odds of that right?) and that Mr. Thompson was not a specific target, but that the gunman learned of the investor day and camped out planning to shoot the first business looking person that walked in. Even Brian Thompson wouldn't have known he was going to be in that spot at that time.

The wife reporting that someone put something suspicious in her mailbox around the same time seems to tie this to him being the target.

 

[bossman]

Is this what @bossman said? Sorry, this thread is moving so fast!

yea i did lol

 

[rizzo0904]

he seems to be into cool design! with the “rare spy gun” and the fancy photography backpack, he seems like someone who is geeky about these kind of things

Yes, these things and the very nice teeth make me think he grew up in an upper middle class household. I think we'll find he's a US citizen. He looks to be 25-30 years of age.

 

[bossman]

Yes! Kudos to Bossman and any others who identified this weapon!!

Thank you. man god bless you.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

This is why:

NYPD detectives tracing sales of the kind of gun used to kill the UnitedHealthcare CEO arrived at a shop in Connecticut on Thursday that sold the same type of gun, according to police sources.

Police believe the shooter used a B&T Station Six, known in Britain as a Welrod pistol.

The gun does not have a silencer but rather a long barrel that enables the 9mm to fire a nearly silent shot.

It requires manually cycling ammunition from the magazine, which is consistent with what is seen in the video of the shooting. The weapon is not easily attainable so investigators have been running down all recent purchases.

The actual gun used in the shooting of Thompson has not been recovered so this is one investigative lead authorities are following.

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting: Suspect arrived in New York on bus from Atlanta: ABC News sources

Law enforcement sources told ABC News that the suspect went through Port Authority Bus Terminal and detectives have been looking to see if they can spot him on video.

abc7ny.com

Based on the video of the suspect biking on 85th Street after the shooting, it appears he ditched his backpack at some point between entering the park and turning onto 85th Street. I wonder if he tossed the gun and/or the backpack into the lake (or the reservoir) in Central Park.

 

[soap mama]

He may have shot him in the leg to incapacitate him first, in order to get a clear shot of his chest while Thompson was on the ground.

True, but that created the risk that someone could intervene before he finished the job. Like being tackled.

 

[Cryptic]

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

It might not be the pistol.

Rather, it could be the silencer. As @PrairieWind noted, silencers might interfere with the pistol's recoil. Recoil is needed to eject a spent cartridge and to feed another one into the firing chamber.

Yikes, a correction, @MassGuy has related that the gun is apparently a rare gun with an unusual design featuring s silencer of sorts built into a longer barrel. One needs to manually cycle the ejection / feed process, probably due to low recoil.

 

[BUF]

Has anyone heard about this tip before?

The hunt brought officers to at least two hostels in that neighborhood, based on a tip that the suspected shooter may have stayed at one of them, according to a second law enforcement official briefed on the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing search.

Key details about the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO

The chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation’s largest insurers, was killed in midtown Manhattan in what police described as a targeted attack.

apnews.com

 

[getthefax]

It depends. Sometimes there's no benefit to releasing the name of a suspect if you're hot on his tail, as you don't want to tip him off. If they know who he is and where he likely is, they probably won't release his name until he's arrested. If they do need help then we'll see a name.

I’m also thinking a name may be currently irrelevant to the American public if he’s not US born and is out of the country already. Which is a distinct possibility given the proximity of Central Park to EWR and LGA airports.

He could have checked in early in the am for an international flight, exited the secure area of the airport and taken the train down to midtown to do the deed, and headed back to the airport and re-entered security just in time for his flight.

They probably already have registered his movements for the hours of 4-6am yesterday, but I’d almost bet they’re looking for people who passed through security twice yesterday morning. MOO

 

[JDG]

Unmasked suspect caught grinning, ‘flirting’ with hostel receptionist just days before UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s NYC execution: sources

The NYPD has released new photos of the gunman who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, on Wednesday outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown.

nypost.com

 

[NottaYutz]

I see Bryan Kohberger

I do too! But it could be Villanelle...

 

[JDG]

True, but that created the risk that someone could intervene before he finished the job. Like being tackled.

There was no time to attack the shooter.

He took his shots, quickly looked at BT, then walked away.

It was all over very quickly.

 

[DizzyB]

Connecticut has some pretty tough gun laws-one would assume that if the weapon was purchased in CT, LE knows who purchased that gun?

 

[rizzo0904]

I’m also thinking a name may be currently irrelevant to the American public if he’s not US born and is out of the country already. Which is a distinct possibility given the proximity of Central Park to EWR and LGA airports.

He could have checked in early in the am for an international flight, exited the secure area of the airport and taken the train down to midtown to do the deed, and headed back to the airport and re-entered security just in time for his flight.

They probably already have registered his movements for the hours of 4-6am yesterday, but I’d almost bet they’re looking for people who passed through security twice yesterday morning. MOO

EWR is an international airport...LGA is not. LGA has flights to Canada and that's about it. Most flights to Europe depart in the evening. I think it's highly unlikely he went to the airport before the shooting.

 

[Baby baby Jane]

Based on the video of the suspect biking on 85th Street after the shooting, it appears he ditched his backpack at some point between entering the park and turning onto 85th Street. I wonder if he tossed the gun and/or the backpack into the lake (or the reservoir) in Central Park.

There would be many many runners at reservoir and there’s a high fence …. Accomplice, trash, drains … but leaning towards accomplice

 

[JDG]

Unmasked suspect caught grinning, ‘flirting’ with hostel receptionist just days before UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s NYC execution: sources

The NYPD has released new photos of the gunman who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, on Wednesday outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown.

nypost.com

Note that this is not the same backpack.

Was he carrying two, one within the other and making sure he was videoed with the unique one??

That way, no one from the hostel will be quick to ID him perhaps.

 

[jimg77]

Connecticut has some pretty tough gun laws-one would assume that if the weapon was purchased in CT, LE knows who purchased that gun?

Yes, you need a carry permit to purchase a gun here in CT. Getting the permit could take months depending on what town you live in.

 

[JDG]

Based on the video of the suspect biking on 85th Street after the shooting, it appears he ditched his backpack at some point between entering the park and turning onto 85th Street. I wonder if he tossed the gun and/or the backpack into the lake (or the reservoir) in Central Park.

He had two backpacks, put one inside the other and go.

 

[Deleted member 349831]

Has anyone heard about this tip before?

The hunt brought officers to at least two hostels in that neighborhood, based on a tip that the suspected shooter may have stayed at one of them, according to a second law enforcement official briefed on the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing search.

I did not hear about the tip but ABC7 NY reported earlier:

"Detectives are currently canvassing other hostels on the Upper West Side, showing his picture and asking if workers have seen the suspect."

 

[MesquiteO21]

The gun does not have a silencer but rather a long barrel that enables the 9mm to fire a nearly silent shot.

wait so if the gun is designed to fire a nearly silent shot on its own, why would he need to use a suppressor?