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

[Periwinkl3]

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

E-bikes are not cheap.

Cheaper than a store. And he didn't need a high-end e-bike.

 

[VAres67]

I don’t think one needs to have little money to want to make a statement on shady American healthcare. People with nicer things can still be upset. Assuming he bought everything for this event ($300 backpack, an e-bike, ~$1500 on hostel) it’s all a drop in the bucket really when you consider it all. If someone is upset enough to plan and kill a CEO, spending <$3k ain’t much. And all of this is assuming he wasn’t paid to do this.

 

[armchairagatha]

I am sticking with my theory of foreign hitman hired by someone local in the USA who wanted Thompson out of the way.
- Starting point Atlanta - could have arrived at Atlanta airport from abroad
- looks Slavic/Eastern European
- looks and moves like a dancer/fine arts person (more common for males in that culture)
- familiar with dark web and crypto currency. Big hacker community.
- used a world war 2 gun (or replica) that hasn’t been traced so far. Russia was a big part of WW2.
- emotionless when committing the crime so this was not personal to him. He was just doing a job.
- no social media presence
- no one has stepped up so far saying they know him which is surprising if he was raised here.

Hopefully he is still in the US and they apprehend him soon.

 

[Inthedetails]

JMO, it might affect the stock market, but the stock market isn't theI economy. It's mostly a casino of sorts.

The economy should be ok for now. If it has a problem, it won't be because of the shooting. CEO's will just spend more money on security.

Yes, but money at an industry level is why it's getting attention. Perception about stability matters. CEOs being gunned down on a weekday morning in Manhattan is not going to be just another murder investigation, whether or not other CEOs can afford more security or not.

If this turns out to be a domestic issue, I think the interest will fade fast - because then the victim is just another murder victim, though a rich one.

My opinion.

jmo

 

[Luna20]

Which of the two situations implies less scrutiny, of documents and otherwise, and fewer cameras:
A busy hostel
Or an AirBnB?

I think he has some money, but everything above one of these two would mean, being exposef to more people.

I personally think the hostel may have fewer cameras. As to people, maybe staff is even trained not to notice much as different people come and go. The reaction of the inhabitants would be predictable. First, perhaps the man is not that noticeable, and second, people who stayed at the hostel don't know his motive and connections, they only know that he is a very good shooter. Would they risk retaliation for BT? He cannot be returned back, and they have to think about themselves. Self-preservation is more than understandable in such a situation.

The killer of Mo Wilson was found by LE in a hostel. It seems like the dorm mates are happy to help with catching the killer.

 

[acutename]

I just had a thought - I haven’t heard much about any ‘panic’ about the fact the gunman is still on the loose, at least from the MSM I’m watching. Is there a risk there could be another target? I don’t see how they could rule that out.

too risky for him? And how many bullet casings can you write on?

 

[Inthedetails]

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

Ebikes are used by delivery guys in the city - they are literally everywhere. If he had cash to spend, which we see he does, he could easily buy a bike.

 

[kamare]

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

That isn't true for Medicare Advantage Plans which are outsourced to the insurance companies and the problems with insurance companies denying coverage is well documented. The fraud is extensive. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/senate-report-slams-medicare-advantage-080848029.html

 

[Charlot123]

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 2.4 million of Georgians are insured by United Healthcare, perhaps?

I personally think that he has connections, but it was his mission.

 

[getthefax]

I am sticking with my theory of foreign hitman hired by someone local in the USA who wanted Thompson out of the way.
- Starting point Atlanta - could have arrived at Atlanta airport from abroad
- looks Slavic/Eastern European
- looks and moves like a dancer/fine arts person (more common for males in that culture)
- familiar with dark web and crypto currency. Big hacker community.
- used a world war 2 gun (or replica) that hasn’t been traced so far. Russia was a big part of WW2.
- emotionless when committing the crime so this was not personal to him. He was just doing a job.
- no social media presence
- no one has stepped up so far saying they know him which is surprising if he was raised here.

Hopefully he is still in the US and they apprehend him soon.

Awesome theory. I enjoy considering all of our differing hypotheses, especially when they hang so many of the facts together.

 

[Deleted member 350315]

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).

As I mentioned upthread, CBS News reported earlier tonight that the NYPD has confirmed that the bike ridden by the suspect was not a Citi Bike.

 

[acutename]

Surely, with all the media publicity and photos, this guy has to be recognized by now. Family, relatives, friends, acquaintances, heck even the corner store where he buys his beers, the bar he hung out at, his former school or place of work etc.
He's not a ghost.
Unless he's not from this country I suppose.

or unless he just shaved and bought new clothing that no one ever saw before

 

[azure]

I don’t think one needs to have little money to want to make a statement on shady American healthcare. People with nicer things can still be upset. Assuming he bought everything for this event ($300 backpack, an e-bike, ~$1500 on hostel) it’s all a drop in the bucket really when you consider it all. If someone is upset enough to plan and kill a CEO, spending <$3k ain’t much. And all of this is assuming he wasn’t paid to do this.

I totally agree.

I do not agree with the idea that the killer was anticapitalist. If you're anticapitalist, you're ideologically against supporting the capitalist system-eg buying expensive shoes and backpacks. Doesn't matter who is paying. The term anticapitalist/antifa/even punk as it's being used is a politically charged buzzword. Seems to me if this guy was politically motivated we'd see more than a couple words on bullet casings. Plus I've seen people across the political spectrum decrying the state of the American health insurance system. I hate seeing this discussion become Fox News-ified.

 

[taylorss]

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

But he flies or somehow travels to the US to stalk & murder an unknown Minnesotan insurance CEO on a busy NYC street ... what for? Adventure?

I mean I know we don't have the answer... it just doesn't fit for me. I don't see why anyone from outside the US would want anything to do with this for "sending a message" aka terrorism. Maybe a domestic terrorist... but even that still feels like a stretch so far imo

 

[kamare]

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.

I still think the guys in those two photos are different. Different noses and chins.

 

[taylorss]

or unless he just shaved and bought new clothing that no one ever saw before

The clothes do look new imo

 

[Baba O'Riley]

It's giving a Catcher in the Rye vibe.

It's been reminding me of the John Lennon murder by Mark David Chapman. I am a lifelong NYer and a huge Beatles fan. John was killed December 8, 1980 in NYC, just a few hours after the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting, which I attended. As you may have read, that same event was held here last night, hours after BT's murder.. John was declared dead at Roosevelt Hospital, the same hospital where Brian Thompson was declared dead.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

UnitedHealth Group has recently acquired or is in the process of acquiring companies. Maybe the suspect was affected by one of the acquisitions.

FWIW - I’m all over the place with this case and haven’t been convinced on a theory yet.

 

[taylorss]

I am sticking with my theory of foreign hitman hired by someone local in the USA who wanted Thompson out of the way.
- Starting point Atlanta - could have arrived at Atlanta airport from abroad
- looks Slavic/Eastern European
- looks and moves like a dancer/fine arts person (more common for males in that culture)
- familiar with dark web and crypto currency. Big hacker community.
- used a world war 2 gun (or replica) that hasn’t been traced so far. Russia was a big part of WW2.
- emotionless when committing the crime so this was not personal to him. He was just doing a job.
- no social media presence
- no one has stepped up so far saying they know him which is surprising if he was raised here.

Hopefully he is still in the US and they apprehend him soon.

Oh yeah, I could see this ... I keep repeating he can't be foreign, but what I really mean is foreign & self-motivated! It still seems like a hired hit IMO

 

[Inthedetails]

UnitedHealth Group has recently acquired or is in the process of acquiring companies. Maybe the suspect was affected by one of the acquisitions.

FWIW - I’m all over the place with this case and haven’t been convinced on a theory yet.

I'm all over the place too and haven't settled on a theory. I would like to know where he got on the bus. Atlanta is an international travel hub, and so is Newark, which looks like it's on the bus route.

jmo