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

[no nonsense]

This is excellent! Thank you for posting.

if he took an uber he has to have the app on a phone and an electronic payment method

 

[Stargazer90]

Agree, just doesn’t seem like someone who was mad because a loved one died because their claim was declined. They may be wanting LE and public to think that by markings on the bullets resembling that book but imho that is a smokescreen to take LE off the scent, whoever did this had knowledge of his movements that could only be provided by someone very close to BT

Agree 100%. I think the words etched on the bullets are a red herring, a diversion from the real motive.

 

[x_files]

I used to be an executive assistant for 10 years at a health insurance company. My boss was the VP over customer service, so he was the first person who would answer customers' letters when they appealed a claims denial. If my boss upheld the denial (vs. overturning it), the customer had one more opportunity to state their case, at which time the dispute would hit the CEO's desk for him/her to respond to. That was how it worked at that particular company. Not sure how it works at others. My boss did his best not to let irate customer complaints reach the CEO's desk.

They switched to AI recently and there's a pending lawsuit over it:

Making Health Care Work Smarter, For Everyone

www.unitedhealthgroup.com

 

[indicolite22]

Maybe a dumb question.... but I've been wondering how they know he travelled from Atlanta if they don't know who he is? What piece of information would connect to a bus trip and hostel stay but not the actual person?

I thought the fake ID from New Jersey came into play after he was already in NYC. What ID did he use to check in originally at the hostel? Perhaps they connected that one to the bus trip?

He didn't need an ID for the bus trip. I think he was spotted on video at the main NYC bus terminal arriving on a bus that originated in Atlanta, but had several en route stops. It's not clear yet where he got on the bus. Similarly, he is on video walking into a different bus terminal on his departure from NYC.

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

True I just heard it on the news. It is now a nationwide hunt.

I believe the LE know who he is right now. Somebody probably came forward to ID him from the pictures that are posted. JMO

It wouldn't surprise me if they do know who he is and are currently tracking him down. In the big scheme of things, a few days to identify and track a suspect is very quick.

One reason that I think that this was a single, targeted hit is that the police have not made any warnings to the general public that everyone or others are in danger (not that I have heard).

JMO.

 

[x_files]

FYI: United Healthcare is facing a lawsuit for using AI to deny medical claims, highlighting its unscrupulous practices.

Making Health Care Work Smarter, For Everyone

A year before CEO shooting, lawsuit alleged UHC used AI to deny coverage

The lawsuit accuses UnitedHealthcare of using artificial intelligence to deny coverage to elderly patients.

www.newsweek.com

 

[Herat]

This Thread is moving so quickly do we know what brand or type of backpack it is yet? I assume it's beige, or light gray with dark straps, correct?

The owner of Peak Design says this is the backpack, based on the photos

Peak Design Everyday 20L backpack in Ash Grey

Everyday Backpack | Peak Design Official Site

An iconic, award-winning pack for everyday and photo carry, the all-new Everyday Backpack is built around access, organization, expansion, and protection.

www.peakdesign.com

 

[penguinface]

Maybe Greyhound buses have cameras?

And if not, the bus terminal that the Greyhound arrived at, along with any subway stations and most subway trains he may have used on the way to the hostel, likely will have done (the NYC subway has thousands of cameras across the stations and hundreds on the trains, with a pledge for every train to have them by 2026.)

 

[x_files]

Normally, it's delegated to others.

and now to AI:

Making Health Care Work Smarter, For Everyone

www.unitedhealthgroup.com

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/06/business/insurance-claim-denials-unitedhealthcare-ceo/index.html

A year before CEO shooting, lawsuit alleged UHC used AI to deny coverage

The lawsuit accuses UnitedHealthcare of using artificial intelligence to deny coverage to elderly patients.

www.newsweek.com

 

[Arkay]

Just my opinion…

I see some posts in which people speculate that BT and the killer are friends or travel in the same social circles.

I would think that is highly doubtful. BT was 50 and in the upper, upper echelons of wealthy corporate America.

The suspect looks at least 25 years younger and is certainly not in a typical friends age group. He’s also definitely too young to be on any top professional level in a sprawling company.

I can’t imagine how they’d run into each other socially.

As to the murderer having an expensive backpack and gun, I know many people without much money who splurge what they have on things they want even when it’s costing them in other areas of life.

Maybe this guy is the son of someone wealthy. Maybe he had a parent who works with the company and hated BT. But he himself being pals with BT, I just can’t see it.

Also—-I know there are people fearful of midtown right now, or indeed afraid to come to NYC. I am certain this was a well planned execution aimed (literally) at one particular man, and the shooter is long, long gone from here.

If there is anyone for whom I fear, it is the hostel receptionist who checked him for ID. Clearly she gave vital info to the police, and obviously he knows where she works. I’m sure he is far away by now, but if he has acquaintances here, that would be my worry.

JMO

 

[citizen_sleuth]

A few thoughts given today's developments (all MOO):

I would not at all be surprised to learn the suspect is (or was) local to the NYC metro area (NY/NJ/CT/PA). The decision to board a bus at the GW Bridge Bus Station as opposed to Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown suggests a level of familiarity with the public transit system and commuting patterns in NYC that is not particularly common, even among some NYC residents (many people I know, some who have lived in NYC for many years, do not even know the GW Bridge Bus Station exists). Granted, most of this information could be found online as well so it's also entirely possible he is just an exceptionally good planner, as is evidenced by the tight timeline before and after the shooting.

The decision to use a fake NJ driver's license is also interesting to me. (Requisite disclaimer: I am not endorsing this in any way, just conveying my knowledge and experience) I went to college in NYC and fake NJ driver's licenses were extremely common among underage college students because they are much easier to convincingly fake compared to NY/PA/CT driver's licenses. I even know someone whose genuine NJ DL was seized by a bouncer because the bouncer thought it were fake and they had to call NYPD to get it back.

If he indeed took the F train to the 57th Street station from the UWS as it appears he did, that alone suggests some familiarity with both the F train and likely the 1 train (as that is the closest stop to the HI NYC hostel). Train schedules, although technically set, are actually quite variable depending on planned maintenance, unexpected delays, and service changes. Learning how to time your departure correctly, especially when a transfer is involved, entails a bit of a learning curve.

Even though the suspect was in NYC for several days leading up to the shooting, I'm not certain that the depth of knowledge he displayed of very local things could have been gained during that time alone. IMO but I think the suspect has at least been to NYC a few times before or previously lived in the city/the NYC metro area.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

if he took an uber he has to have the app on a phone and an electronic payment method

Yeah I'm skeptical of the Uber for that reason. 10 days in New York paying for the hostel, food, incidentals all with cash - that's a lot of cash to be carrying around.

 

[Millhouse]

Interesting. Do the CEOs actually get involved in denials? I used to work for physicians at a level 1 trauma center and we had to get peer to peer reviews all the time. I have never had one go to the CEO. It was always MDs doing the reviews and talking to the treating physicians. They were the step above the nurses who did the second denial after it was denied by the lay people working for the insurance. We always had the different company policies for every procedure on hand prior to trying to get things approved. It was a lot of time and work in many cases. But i never had any go to the CEO who isn’t usually medically trained. Many of the denial policies have been in place for a very long time. They never take into consideration that every patient is different and medicine isn’t exact and can vary by patient. They have checklists they follow and do not deviate.

IMO... I don't think CEOs need to be actively involved with denial decisions in order to become the figurehead associated with the processes and organization. It comes with the territory of being the leader. Everything that happens at your company becomes your responsibility, even if you don't touch it.

I agree that many of the policies are in place for a long time. Those policies are still under the leadership and purview of whoever is in charge.

Also true for head coaches of sports teams, university presidents, and other leadership positions. If a scandal or bad policy comes to light, your lack of involvement doesn't always excuse you from being the person associated with it.

 

[Rose Just Rosr]

I have thought about the possibility of 2 similar looking people being involved. It would explain some things but it seems like something out of a movie so I put that idea on the back burner. Nice to see that I am not alone in thinking about 2 people.

O good! I kept thinking also theory sounds like movie but seems so not far fetched.

 

[x_files]

Is is just me or does $10K seem on the cheap side?

Considering it's for the CEO of United Healthcare.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

Now it's being reported that "investigators believe the person may have boarded a bus at the port authority bus terminal near Times Square bound for Atlanta, Georgia." so The Port Authority terminal he arrived in to not GW Bridge.

Who knows which "sources" are right at this point.

Live updates: Backpack found as NY health boss shooting suspect search expands to Georgia

NYPD says the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan was "a brazen, targeted attack".

www.bbc.co.uk

The information that the suspect boarded a bus at the GW Bus Terminal at 178th and Broadway comes from an interview with the NYPD Chief of Detectives. I think it’s likely the BBC is just misreporting due to confusion between the Port Authority Bus Terminal and a bus station operated by Port Authority.

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

Now it's being reported that "investigators believe the person may have boarded a bus at the port authority bus terminal near Times Square bound for Atlanta, Georgia." so The Port Authority terminal he arrived in to not GW Bridge.

Who knows which "sources" are right at this point.

Live updates: Backpack found as NY health boss shooting suspect search expands to Georgia

NYPD says the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan was "a brazen, targeted attack".

www.bbc.co.uk

If the source is an "eye witness," how many times have people thought that they saw someone when it is actually not that person?

JMO

 

[ChrisM]

If he was hired, the person who hired him probably doesn't care if he's caught now or not. The job is done, mission accomplished.

If he was hired and caught, he might not spill the beans on who hired him because that person could arrange to kill the assassin too. For safety reasons, he might not say a word if caught.

If he doesn't get caught, he's now a valuable assassin for another job, I suppose. He'll have the opportunity to fix the errors he made, perhaps. Only half joking.

I don't think he's a lone wolf but I haven't completely crossed it off my list.

jmo

i can't imagine a "hitman" taking the time or the added evidential risk by writing the words (delay, deny) on his bullets, although these days it may be there's some consideration of "branding" for future jobs, lol. but seriously, these words nearly certainly convey a personal message; the idea that this person might be a professional seems unlikely.

 

[x_files]

IMO... I don't think CEOs need to be actively involved with denial decisions in order to become the figurehead associated with the processes and organization. It comes with the territory of being the leader. Everything that happens at your company becomes your responsibility, even if you don't touch it.

I agree that many of the policies are in place for a long time. Those policies are still under the leadership and purview of whoever is in charge.

Also true for head coaches of sports teams, university presidents, and other leadership positions. If a scandal or bad policy comes to light, your lack of involvement doesn't always excuse you from being the person associated with it.

AI: It's on the United Healthcare website. for some reason the link to their site isn't showing up on this Thread.

Making Health Care Work Smarter, For Everyone

www.unitedhealthgroup.com

 

[x_files]

Yes, so many insurance co’s are using AI. Almost all use some form of it for medication approvals/denials, at least for the first 1-2 rounds of denials.

AI denied medication that supports my breathing and swallowing safely. Numerous times. Took almost 4 months and trips to the ER and being admitted to get a person to listen

Yep, your correct United switched to AI under BT's direction. He is credited for implementing which resulted in a pending lawsuit:

Making Health Care Work Smarter, For Everyone

www.unitedhealthgroup.com