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

[azure]

I have the same sense of the killer - he seems like an "anarchist" gutter punk. But tho that's an international movement, I just cannot imagine anyone but an American grievance-mongering against an American health insurance company CEO! It's just too tangential to any dumb "cause" for someone who's not American to even know about. A politician sure, even some celebrity for the shock value ... but a Minnesota-based insurance CEO ?!?!! Simply cannot imagine this is the man any foreign terrorists would pick to send their message
Moo

I've known lots of anarchists and gutter punks in my time. They definitely aren't wearing expensive backpacks and sneakers with pristine white soles. This guy is way too well dressed to be an anarchist or gutter punk.

 

[TTF14]

Wouldn't you need to use a credit card to rent one though?

Maybe he swiped it from another paying customer who either left it unsecured or abandoned it? I think I read here (or somewhere) that this frequently happens with these bikes (that they are just left and not returned properly).

 

[BackInNewMexico]

It looked to me as if he shot him in the calf to get him to turn enough for a chest shot.

It would also cause pain but I didn’t get the feeling watching the video, that the assassin was emotional at all. It was just a job and he did it.

I agree it didn’t feel overly emotional and he just walked right past him after the third shot, doesn’t even look like he waits a second to take ‘the scene’ in.

I know nothing about guns, but planning to shoot a moving target in their calf, just so you can get them to look at you, sounds really difficult to me?

 

[Periwinkl3]

The hostel is an easy walk to Columbia University campus. Students might be selling bikes for cheap around the end of the term.

 

[getthefax]

I've known lots of anarchists and gutter punks in my time. They definitely aren't wearing expensive backpacks and sneakers with pristine white soles. This guy is way too well dressed to be an anarchist or gutter punk.

Times change.

I’m guessing contemporary gutter punks look different than they did before the Internet was around… hackers these days steal millions in bitcoin. Why can’t there be rich techno punks?

Thinking of the Robin Hood/bitcoin thing. The thing all punks have in common is they love sticking it to “the man.” (Though only the worst ones would use such a sickening level of violence)

 

[Charlot123]

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting: Suspect may have arrived in NYC by bus Nov. 24, sources say

New York City police detectives are learning more about the movements of the alleged gunman who they say shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. On Thursday, senior law enforcement officials told News 4 that investigators were working on the belief that the suspect arrived in New...

www.nbcnewyork.com

[/I]

I still see something Mediterranean/Middle-Eastern in the face, but it just occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, the nose was broken in a street fight or boxing, and he either didn't have the time to fix it, or maybe even opts for the "brutal" look? He likes good things and if I were to guess, he takes good care of himself, so perhaps it is even intentional.

 

[sleepysleuth]

Per CNN..

• The shooter’s motive is unclear. But a source told CNN that UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, America’s largest insurance company, was aware of threats against its executives.

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/unitedhealthcare-brian-thompson-death-12-5-24/index.html

 

[Big Ears]

The background is identical...

Ah, right! I didn't look close enough. Looks like camera captured him at hostel desk on these two occasions. I thought it was a comparison of the hostel pic versus the Starbucks pic. My mistake.

 

[clearskies1]

A guess based on his youth and determination: One of his parents (perhaps now deceased) had a serious medical issue and had big problems with UHC insurance.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

Long post ahead, and it’s just my ramblings… but wanted to put them down here (for the exercise):

I think it is going to take a minute to find this guy. I think he’s basically a bold serial killer who essentially found his dream “job” in killing someone in a sort of organized terror-ish attack. He looks relaxed, charming… and we watched him behave calmly, smoothly, and without hesitation or any major screw ups. His plan worked.

United Healthcare experienced a ransomware attack in February, 2024, wherein hackers seized United Healthcare servers, and for which the company paid $22million in bitcoin to have released. That money goes into the ether—and it would sure buy a whole lot of pistols.

To my eye, this was a very well planned/organized attack where the shooter was able to identify a lot of loopholes and windows of opportunity and exploit them. He is very intelligent. He selected a target, probably planned meticulously for weeks or months, arriving in NYC weeks early. He then had to acquire an e-bike, and needed a place to store it, so he chose a hostel… both because he wanted to blend in, but also because he could store that bike he would soon need.

The weapon he used was a very expensive ($5700!) specialty gun used to dispatch sick/wounded animals. I do not believe it’s a coincidence that a weapon for the “sick/wounded animal” was used to kill the United Healthcare CEO — it has the hallmark of a taunt (which we saw echoed in the writing on the bullets).

Here’s a write up on the gun: VP9 Suppressed Pistol from B&T: The Silent Helper – Small Arms Defense Journal

The article above shows a photo (attached) of how the gun breaks down into many component parts (useful for traveling), and that can be tossed into trash, bit by bit over time, undetected and therefore lost forever.

It also describes the handling of the gun, and helped me understand why the shooter’s two handed grip seemed slightly unusual, especially as he cycled the spent casings and extra unspent rounds.

My wild guess is this guy has money and well-funded backers, is part of a larger anarchist/anticapitalist network that has tentacles overseas expressly so they can commit crimes. I believe he is long gone out of the US.

IMO the killer is very smart, tech savvy, spoiled, and possibly an anarchist/anti capitalist fundamentalist sort (would also tie in with & explain the bus, train, hostel and electric bike mode of transport). He might be vegan. I know—I’ve really gone off on my analysis here!

I hope I am dead wrong, but this is my feeling about the case and why. It has a bit of a “new world order” kind of feel to it, IMO. A very different crime, and yes, my ideas are indeed very cinematic. But here we are.

Bookmarking this post so I can find it and eat my words in the future.

The writing on the bullet casings certainly got my attention and, in my opinion, pointed to an anti-capitalist motive.
The fact that no extremist group has stepped forward to claim responsibility makes me think the killer himself is not a member of any group, but has been influenced by these groups. A wannabe.
I don’t think this is a particularly well planned killing. Too many mistakes made.
I’d profile him as a young idealist/extremist from a well to do family with enough money to buy a weird expensive handgun and who is dumb enough to think that will throw the police off when in actuality it will probably bring them to his doorstep.

 

[HanniBJeter]

The thing that most people do not understand about insurance coverage through an employer is that it's actually the employer who decides on what coverage to purchase from a health insurance provider. People like to play the blame game with insurance companies when, in fact, it's the employer that ultimately decides the level of coverage they are willing to offer their employees. The insurance companies just provide the level of service they are paid for.

Thank you SO much for posting this! I’m constantly telling people exactly what you wrote. They just want to blame the insurance company.
And if it’s a Medicare/Medicaid plan, they have to follow CMS guidelines for coverage. UHC isn’t just making up rules and guidelines willy nilly for what is and isn’t covered

 

[Periwinkl3]

Regarding Atlanta, apparently it's easy to buy a gun from a private seller in Georgia. He had NJ fake ID, so it's possible the killer had Georgia ID, too. Maybe he contacted the seller on the dark web, or someone else set the sale up.

 

[taylorss]

The writing on the bullet casings certainly got my attention and, in my opinion, pointed to an anti-capitalist motive.
The fact that no extremist group has stepped forward to claim responsibility makes me think the killer himself is not a member of any group, but has been influenced by these groups. A wannabe.
I don’t think this is a particularly well planned killing. Too many mistakes made.
I’d profile him as a young idealist/extremist from a well to do family with enough money to buy a weird expensive handgun and who is dumb enough to think that will throw the police off when in actuality it will probably bring them to his doorstep.

But why??? Why would a young ideological extremist from a wealthy family want to ruin the rest of his life by incompetently murdering an insurance executive on a bustling Manhattan street? Why no-name (with all due respect) BT - do they not have any insurance executives in Atlanta??
Moo

 

[citizen_sleuth]

A bit of weird wording in this article — can’t tell if they are insinuating a second person may be involved or if it is just poor wording

What we know about the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO as police probe surveillance photo and smudged fingerprint | CNN

Police are searching for a gunman on the loose after shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in what police described as a bold and deliberate attack in the heart of New York City.

amp.cnn.com

<snipped & BBM>
The suspected gunman used a fake New Jersey driver’s license when checking into the hostel, according to a law enforcement official. The identification was used to check in on November 30, multiple law enforcement officials told CNN.

One man appeared to wear a mask most of the time that he was staying at the hostel, multiple law enforcement sources told CNN. Hostel employees remember a man who wore a hooded jacket identical to the shooter’s, and who almost never lowered his mask or the hood.

 

[scoodyboo]

But why??? Why would a young ideological extremist from a wealthy family want to ruin the rest of his life by incompetently murdering an insurance executive on a bustling Manhattan street? Why no-name (with all due respect) BT - do they not have any insurance executives in Atlanta??
Moo

Assume LE are looking into recent claims/denials/complaints/grievances/appeals to see if he fits.

 

[getthefax]

But why??? Why would a young ideological extremist from a wealthy family want to ruin the rest of his life by incompetently murdering an insurance executive on a bustling Manhattan street? Why no-name (with all due respect) BT - do they not have any insurance executives in Atlanta??
Moo

Because he doesn’t think he will get caught if he lives elsewhere in the world…?

 

[DizzyB]

I think strategy. Pain and humiliation was the purpose. I know of people who saw all of the video who said it seemed like the shooter was not avoidant of being seen by the victim. JMHO.

I don’t think his intention was to shoot him in the leg first.

The hostel is an easy walk to Columbia University campus. Students might be selling bikes for cheap around the end of the term.

E-bikes are not cheap.

 

[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

The only time he removed his mask was to flirt with receptionist who asked to see his face……. Uh uh

Huge mistake killer. Typically male though.

Now they’re going to catch you, silly goose!

 

[Jamara3]

Wasn't he shot in the back?

He was shot in the lower leg and immediately moved toward the building and was on the ground. He could no longer walk. While huddled next to the building, he was shot again.

He appears to turn around after he’s shot in the leg. He twists his torso to look back ant the shooter while grabbing onto the building. It seems like the shooter’s gun may jam during this point and then he twists all the the way around to face the building again and falls towards the ground with his back turned to the shooter.

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

I wonder if BT had the book, "Deny, Defend, Depose" at home If so, perhaps, this gave someone an idea to use something similar on shell casings that were conveniently left at the scene as a red herring. I could be totally wrong, of course.

JMO.