NY - UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot in Midtown. #3

[CrimeDawg123]

Anyone else shocked that no one has come forward yet with an identification of this guy? He has to work somewhere, have friends, acquaintances, people he deals with on a fairly regular basis...

Yes, I thought I'd wake up this morning with him being ID'd. I still think it will happen very soon.

 

[eash]

I'll go along with the, frankly insane, theory that he shot a guy in public, then unlocked a bike, then unzipped his backpack, got out a battery, put on the battery and left the scene. Now explain to me how he emerged from the F station when there is no F train from the UWS.

Can you explain this a little more? I missed where he emerged from the F station. Is it that there isn’t a direct train or something else - not super familiar with the subway in NYC.

 

[alsleuther]

It seems counterintuitive for the killer (who planned the assassination) chose NYC for the spot rather than Maple Grove, MN where BT lived. Maple Grove is around 70K population, and likely, not nearly as many security cameras to record his actions.

So, why go to NYC? To throw the authorities off?

What?

I was contemplating this also. To kill someone in Maple Grove, or even Minneapolis, you would need a car to pull it off. You either have to use your own, or rent one (with an ID), which would be caught on a camera. NYC offers a unique situation where there are tons more people, Central park to get lost in, SO many different modes of transportation to anonymously disappear..... just so far we think he used a bike, bus, and Subway.

And if the person behind this is tied to Minnesota, this is another way to throw authorities off the track, along with the bullets with the three words on them.

 

[MassGuy]

It seems counterintuitive for the killer (who planned the assassination) chose NYC for the spot rather than Maple Grove, MN where BT lived. Maple Grove is around 70K population, and likely, not nearly as many security cameras to record his actions.

So, why go to NYC? To throw the authorities off?

What?

If he wanted to send a message, he couldn’t have picked a better place and way to do it.

That’s why I think that’s the motive, as opposed to some personal grudge or hired hit or something.

This is something straight out of a movie, as assassination type killings just don’t happen with any regularity. They certainly don’t happen on camera, using a suppressed weapon.

They also don’t include bullet casings with cryptic words written on them.

As much as it’s captured the public’s imagination in that regard, it’s also been successful in putting a discussion of the health insurance industry at the forefront.

I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

 

[Inthedetails]

CNN: John Miller thinks they'll start expanding the net today, reaching out to other parts of the country as this guy likely isn't in NY anymore.

Former U.S. Marshal thinks they'll be looking for phone records that show calls to places like Atlanta. He seems to be saying that they'll use geofencing at places where they have him on the phone to figure out who is making calls at that time (I hadn't thought of this).

It's great they will be using geofencing, etc, as tools....but I also dread it because it means endless tech discussions which are worse than gun discussions, lol! I'm joking of course. No offense intended and I realize without being told the investigation does not center on my personal interests.

I hope the geofencing works.

jmo

 

[armchairagatha]

Has it been confirmed the gun was a replica and not a real WW2 gun? People may have forgotten that the Iron curtain and espionage (Eastern Europe) was a real thing up until the early 1990s and so if the killer is from there, he could have had such a gun passed down to him. And it would be untraceable as to where he obtained it.

 

[Sunshynn]

It seems counterintuitive for the killer (who planned the assassination) chose NYC for the spot rather than Maple Grove, MN where BT lived. Maple Grove is around 70K population, and likely, not nearly as many security cameras to record his actions.

So, why go to NYC? To throw the authorities off?

UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New York

Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the US but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected.

apnews.com

I'm not sure if this means he didn't go out a lot personally or that he wasn't flashy about his professional title.
The article doesn't really go into detail about it either.

Maybe he was a homebody at home and would be harder to get to and the killer knew he'd be out and about in NY? Or the location of NY was another deliberate message that the killer was trying to send?

MOO.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

A little, but we don't know everything law enforcement knows. They may have tips as to who he is, or there might be a good reason they don't.

They might very well already know who he is and are tracking him down. Maybe if they need the public's help to find him they'll do a presser and release his name and photo.

 

[eash]

It seems counterintuitive for the killer (who planned the assassination) chose NYC for the spot rather than Maple Grove, MN where BT lived. Maple Grove is around 70K population, and likely, not nearly as many security cameras to record his actions.

So, why go to NYC? To throw the authorities off?

What?

I think it is tied to the event that day - the financial meeting. Plus, hiding in plain sight is easier in NYC than in suburbia MN.

 

[Inthedetails]

If he wanted to send a message, he couldn’t have picked a better place and way to do it.

That’s why I think that’s the motive, as opposed to some personal grudge or hired hit or something.

This is something straight out of a movie, as assassination type killings just don’t happen with any regularity. They certainly don’t happen on camera, using a suppressed weapon.

They also don’t include bullet casings with cryptic words written on them.

As much as it’s captured the public’s imagination in that regard, it’s also been successful in putting a discussion of the health insurance industry at the forefront.

I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

Yes, it might feel like a script because it was, in fact, scripted with the intention of capturing interest. It worked.

jmo

 

[Jamara3]

I soooo want to hear from the flirty hostel clerk. We will eventually. But so curious about that interaction! Was it genuine and he really did let his guard down to charm her, or is he practiced at seamlessly fitting in any situation and flirting was the way to go in that moment. How "practiced" is he at his behavior?

jmo

I had a thought about this interaction. Given that he was using a fake ID, I wonder if he was nervous about his cover getting blown. Maybe the ID looked a little off and the clerk somewhat knew it and was hesitating with it. Asked in a kind of “flirty” way to pull his mask down so that she can see his face and compare it to the ID. I’d be a little nervous seeing a guy walk into my business like that (I know we lived through COVID masking, but his attire looks different than that). He probably complied and sweet talked her to get her to move on and not call the police or something.

 

[ElizaKate]

It seems counterintuitive for the killer (who planned the assassination) chose NYC for the spot rather than Maple Grove, MN where BT lived. Maple Grove is around 70K population, and likely, not nearly as many security cameras to record his actions.

So, why go to NYC? To throw the authorities off?

What?

Because he wanted to disrupt the Investors' Conference? It's linked IMO.

 

[MassGuy]

Agree. And arguably it was a completely IMpractical choice given the manually cycling. The gun is a message in the same was the bullets are.

Lol, for sure.

A far easier and more practical way to have done this would have been to use any common 9mm handgun, and purchase a suppressor (silencer) separately.

That would have been much harder to trace, and would have been a much easier weapon to use.

 

[eash]

Has it been confirmed the gun was a replica and not a real WW2 gun? People may have forgotten that the Iron curtain and espionage (Eastern Europe) was a real thing up until the early 1990s and so if the killer is from there, he could have had such a gun passed down to him. And it would be untraceable as to where he obtained it.

If it is truly a WW2 gun, that would eliminate the theory of an int’l killer. I can’t think of a way you could travel overseas with a weapon like that.

 

[nao]

Married to a veterinarian and I asked him about this gun. He looked at me like I was nuts. Never heard of it - granted he is a small animal vet so not shooting his clients but I am not sure shooting animals is common practice anymore in the vet field.

Moo.. probably used in large animal practice. Cattle, horses?

 

[Charlot123]

Starbucks - paid in cash. The hostel stay that would have cost over $1k - paid in cash. IMO he paid for everything in cash.

OK, when one of kids was in college, I made a joint account for us and put 10 K there. “If you need the money, ASAP, for a rainy day, and I am away, here you are.”

So he graduates, is relocating to another city for postgrad and tells that he wants to travel to (* the country with the most advantageous location in the world*) for the whole summer because he has been studying its language. He is just finished college and we refuse to sponsor his stay as the language is so far not popular in the US. (Choose Germany, Spain, China, no problem, but why this?). So he pulls money from our account, buys the ticket and goes there. I didn’t mind, he had full access to the money and a cc, but “it supposedly was for a rainy day.” (My husband, wryly “and the rainy day has arrived.”) He spent 3 months there, stayed in hostels, traveled, learned the language, had a local girlfriend. The language is still not in top 10 but is now considered the “critical” to learn by US dep, go guess.

What I think, if the asassin has an access to some fund, he can just use it. Maybe even education one. Moreover, it is a very student-like mentality. I totally understand how the guy could have access to the money and use it, and even plan a travel in such a way. It is a certain age and a certain group when you can plan well, but not for 10 years ahead.

 

[Inthedetails]

96% of the population is actually rooting for him- I am not surprised people are not lining up for $10K.

Social media posts are 25:1 in favor of what he did. Not endorsing, just reporting.

Real people are rooting for a killer or bots are flooding social media with support for a killer?

jmo

 

[armchairagatha]

If he wanted to send a message, he couldn’t have picked a better place and way to do it.

That’s why I think that’s the motive, as opposed to some personal grudge or hired hit or something.

This is something straight out of a movie, as assassination type killings just don’t happen with any regularity. They certainly don’t happen on camera, using a suppressed weapon.

They also don’t include bullet casings with cryptic words written on them.

As much as it’s captured the public’s imagination in that regard, it’s also been successful in putting a discussion of the health insurance industry at the forefront.

I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

Or it could be something more prosaic like the real mastermind being from Minnesota and they wanted no attention on themselves. There have been 3 theories about Manhattan as the place of choice and I believe the real reason has to be one of them.
1. Make a statement on the world stage
2. Draw attention away from sleepy Minnesota and someone who lives there. Muddy the waters.
3. Easier to blend in and disappear in Manhattan.
I am not convinced 3 is really true because of the downsides like the crowds and cameras. My personal choice is 2 just because of how methodical and dispassionate the guy was - he was an executioner without a personal motive. A hitman carrying out his job.

 

[Inthedetails]

OK, when one of kids was in college, I made a joint account for us and put 10 K there. “If you need the money, ASAP, for a rainy day, and I am away, here you are.”

So he graduates, is relocating to another city for postgrad and tells that he wants to travel to (* the country with the most advantageous location in the world*) for the whole summer because he has been studying its language. He is just finished college and we refuse to sponsor his stay as the language is so far not popular in the US. (Choose Germany, Spain, China, no problem, but why this?). So he pulls money from our account, buys the ticket and goes there. I didn’t mind, he had full access to the money and a cc, but “it supposedly was for a rainy day.” (My husband, wryly “and the rainy day has arrived.”) He spent 3 months there, stayed in hostels, traveled, learned the language, had a local girlfriend. The language is still not in top 10 but is now considered the “critical” to learn by US dep, go guess.

What I think, if the asassin has an access to some fund, he can just use it. Maybe even education one. Moreover, it is a very student-like mentality. I totally understand how the guy could have access to the money and use it, and even plan a travel in such a way. It is a certain age and a certain group when you can plan well, but not for 10 years ahead.

Let's keep in mind, this guy murdered a CEO while on a trip to NYC. I don't think he's a student using his parents' money to travel.

jmo

 

[Jamara3]

Agree. And arguably it was a completely IMpractical choice given the manually cycling. The gun is a message in the same was the bullets are.

If we’re talking about messaging and symbolism, is there something else to this gun having a history in spy warfare and and the intentional use of a silencer, being a message about silencing whistleblowers?