NY - UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot in Midtown. #5

[citizen_sleuth]

Re: these new photos taken from and in the taxi - I have my doubts about the authenticity of these. First, look how light it is outside - sunrise in NYC is not until after 7am, so it would still be dark-ish. The photo taken in the taxi looks staged, it's hard to believe the shooter would poke his head toward that window and look directly at the camera.
Geeez, how many jackets does this guy own?? That's another thing. He was not wearing that jacket when he did the shooting, that had a tag on the upper left, this one does not. That one was not a puffer. I am fairly certain it was a Patagonia Houdini windbreaker. It almost seems as if someone was trying to imitate him to throw a red herring, maybe in cahoots with the taxi driver, which I would not put past people as he has become something of a folk hero.

It was NYPD who obtained and released these photos, not the media, so I think we can be certain that this is indeed the suspect. Aside from the 15 minutes he was in Central Park, all of his movements that morning were caught on surveillance cams, including him on exiting the park and then hailing the cab.

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

ETA that I agree with you - I have some general thoughts.

The best way to analyze the weapon choice and leg shot would NOT be asking: 1. what would the best weapon for an assassin. 2. how would the most skilled super assassin shoot someone on the street.

It would be asking: 1. what were the gunman's goals? Quiet and as un-traceable as possible. And obtainable. IMO this points to a compromise on function - as there was manual action between firing shots. He was not thrown off by that manual actions, so he either anticipated this or trained to be smooth. This weapon choice also say to me, IMO, that he was not going to shoot bystanders who tried to interviene or police if they arrived - the weapon was meant to dispatch an intended target.
2. Shoot to kill traning emphasises center mass. Gunman shot the leg first. IMO, on facts known why the legshot first is wildy specualtative without being based on much.

I don't know what I'm missing here, I have repeatedly noted the gun choice was for the silencer (the reason the gun was called the "assassins" gun in the advertisement, not stated by me, as the best gun for an assassin).
It certainly is not an assassin's gun for efficiency.
It's obivious he did a lot of dry firing and was comfortable using the gun, however I do think he looks at the gun several times. He could have been equally practiced and comfortable with another gun with a silencer.

The problem with using a single shot gun is that there is more opportunity for something to happen. If the victim had been armed, I think he may have been able to return fire or able to run to the door. It could be that the shooter had planned on being much closer to the victim and get him down with a first shot in the back. The shooter would not have known if someone else, who could have been armed, could have stepped outside just as he first shot.

It suggests to me that he already had access to the gun he used. I could be wrong and he loves this gun and sought it out on purpose and had no idea that a different gun would have been a better choice.

As far as traceability, he choose a unique, far more traceable gun, even with the SN removed. I'm guessing they are investigating the feasability of checking import records and narrowing down the model.
He could buy any of one of the of the massed produced cheap pistols and found a silencer, on the street or under the table. add, Much harder to trace.
MOO

 

[fashionella]

Having worked in hotels, it's easy to get a clerk in a hotel to give you such info. Security is only as good as the least paid employee. A few bucks and a nod to tip my "dad" when he leaves so I can surprise him (made up of story of course, so the employee can text is so called dad.), would work on 99% of hotel clerks. And of course the hotel clerk that was bribed would keep his mouth shut for many reason, not least thinkin he was going to be charged with accessory before the fact.

I used to shop employees and most fail even basic security all the time. After all they only get paid a buck or so more than minimum wage.

And since my semi-retirement I work in a club with some of the richest CEOs and businessmen in Chicago and you could not be more wrong about how CEOs dress

working in a club after hours is not the same as on the clock professional dress, which I was exposed to for 25 years. CEOs, heads of companies...they always dress professionally at all times while attending meetings or anything on work time.

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

Having worked in hotels, it's easy to get a clerk in a hotel to give you such info. Security is only as good as the least paid employee. A few bucks and a nod to tip my "dad" when he leaves so I can surprise him (made up of story of course, so the employee can text is so called dad.), would work on 99% of hotel clerks. And of course the hotel clerk that was bribed would keep his mouth shut for many reason, not least thinkin he was going to be charged with accessory before the fact.

I used to shop employees and most fail even basic security all the time. After all they only get paid a buck or so more than minimum wage.

And since my semi-retirement I work in a club with some of the richest CEOs and businessmen in Chicago and you could not be more wrong about how CEOs dress

Wouldn't there be video of this exchange with a front desk clerk? I know that my husband was at a conference in Orlando. He checked in and went golfing with other attendees.

When some of us "girls" went to check in and go to our rooms, the front desk clerks would not budge. I knew everything about my husband, but they wanted me to provide his credit card number and security code on file. I even said that I knew that it was his business Amex card. Nope, not enough. Even the head of the conference (who knew me and was in the lobby) vouched for me.

Still, I was not allowed to check in until my husband returned. So, I can't see a front desk clerk just agreeing to do this knowing that everything is probably on tape. Just a thought. Could be wrong.

JMO.

 

[Agatha3]

Yeah, even serial killers typically undergo changes after a murder. Stress is high, because he'd likely be worried about being caught. We always hear to watch out for a change in appearance, intense interest in news coverage, mood changes, behavioral changes, substance abuse, etc.

I can't imagine it's going as planned, especially with his image being released, and all this talk about DNA.

Could he go other way….pure elation that he is so far not caught and the fact that there are so many tweets about how handsome he is and how he is making a statement on behalf of others? A bit of a narcissist? Thinks he’s Robin Hood.

 

[fridaybaker]

I'm finding it amusing that people are taking the hyperbole of "billion" literally. No, BT was not a "billionaire". However, to 99.999% of us, he might have well have been. Not a lot of difference between $40m and $1b to most folks.

 

[Let’s Bagel]

Having worked in hotels, it's easy to get a clerk in a hotel to give you such info. Security is only as good as the least paid employee. A few bucks and a nod to tip my "dad" when he leaves so I can surprise him (made up of story of course, so the employee can text is so called dad.), would work on 99% of hotel clerks. And of course the hotel clerk that was bribed would keep his mouth shut for many reason, not least thinkin he was going to be charged with accessory before the fact.

I used to shop employees and most fail even basic security all the time. After all they only get paid a buck or so more than minimum wage.

And since my semi-retirement I work in a club with some of the richest CEOs and businessmen in Chicago and you could not be more wrong about how CEOs dress

Agreed. This obsession over his lack of overcoat and briefcase is just mind boggling. I've been to numerous meetings and conferences in NYC on very cold days and have never worn an overcoat with a walk as short as his was. Corporate "dress codes" have changed dramatically over the past 10 years or so.

 

[honestground]

I'm finding it amusing that people are taking the hyperbole of "billion" literally. No, BT was not a "billionaire". However, to 99.999% of us, he might have well have been. Ain't a lot of difference between $40m and $1b to most folks.

Right? 99% of those in the states are closer to being unhoused than having $40m or $1b. It doesn't make a huge difference with such a huge inequality of wealth in the country IMO.

 

[Janitor101]

Just taking a guess as the money amount, I’m going with six hundred and sixty six. My guess is based on it supposedly being an evil number. MOO

I haven't played monopoly in quite a while but I think the highest denomination in that money is $500?

 

[fashionella]

I don't know what I'm missing here, I have repeatedly noted the gun choice was for the silencer (the reason the gun was called the "assassins" gun in the advertisement, not stated by me, as the best gun for an assassin).
It certainly is not an assassin's gun for efficiency.
It's obivious he did a lot of dry firing and was comfortable using the gun, however I do think he looks at the gun several times. He could have been equally practiced and comfortable with another gun with a silencer.

The problem with using a single shot gun is that there is more opportunity for something to happen. If the victim had been armed, I think he may have been able to return fire or able to run to the door. It could be that the shooter had planned on being much closer to the victim and get him down with a first shot in the back. The shooter would not have known if someone else, who could have been armed, could have stepped outside just as he first shot.

It suggests to me that he already had access to the gun he used. I could be wrong and he loves this gun and sought it out on purpose and had no idea that a different gun would have been a better choice.

As far as traceability, he choose a unique, far more traceable gun, even with the SN removed. I'm guessing they are investigating the feasability of checking import records and narrowing down the model.
He could buy any of one of the of the massed produced cheap pistols and found a silencer, on the street or under the table.
MOO

I agree with you, I would add that I would not be surprised if the original plan was to shoot BT in his hotel room. The outside thing was not the ideal plan. Like I have said in past posts, my theory is that this is an extortion and the shooter had some sort of relationship/has met the CEO in the past and extorted/blackmailed him. I believe, ideally, the hit was meant to be in a hotel room.

 

[honestground]

Agreed. This obsession over his lack of overcoat and briefcase is just mind boggling. I've been to numerous meetings and conferences in NYC on very cold days and have never worn an overcoat with a walk as short as his was. Corporate "dress codes" have changed dramatically over the past 10 years or so.

Agree. Since COVID especially, I've found all companies I deal with have gone to a much more casual dress code. It's been a combination of younger employees/different generations coming on board and work-from-home years and hybrid IME. Much more casual dress codes.

 

[Agatha3]

I've been lurking all day, but needed to join in once these new pics came out. I assume the photo in the cab was taken from the dashcam but WHERE IS THE DRIVER???

With cops I imagine and hopefully under protection. He will know accent even if no small talk and where he picked him up and dropped him.

 

[ChrisM]

I haven't played monopoly in quite a while but I think the highest denomination in that money is $500?

i think you're right! the surprising thing to me is where he found the monopoly money; from the last game i played with my daughter, *she* had every dollar in existence!! lol

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

Agree. Since COVID especially, I've found all companies I deal with have gone to a much more casual dress code. It's been a combination of younger employees/different generations coming on board and work-from-home years and hybrid IME. Much more casual dress codes.

Business attire has changed a lot! My husband used to have to wear suit and tie to work every day. It totally changed throughout the years. He then wore sports jackets and oftentimes just wore a polo type golf shirt and slacks. In his last job, the President (and part owner) of the company wore jeans to work every day!

JMO.

 

[GMG1999]

I agree with you, I would add that I would not be surprised if the original plan was to shoot BT in his hotel room. The outside thing was not the ideal plan. Like I have said in past posts, my theory is that this is an extortion and the shooter had some sort of relationship/has met the CEO in the past and extorted/blackmailed him. I believe, ideally, the hit was meant to be in a hotel room.

If it is personal though, why not just do it where he lives with far less eyes?

 

[EBW321]

I see. Thanks. No, in this case it doesn't look like he picked up anything. He does make a motion as if transferring something to right hand. My #1 guess then is pantomime/ruse. Or placed the plastic tab or plastic cap (don't know if they're tethered in NYC) there.

That definitely sounds much more logical.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I still suspect BT knew his killer or someone who would know his schedule like a PA or something knows the killer. Whoever carried out the attack spent half an hour in Starbucks before calmly walking out and carrying out a hit, he had inside info into BT’s schedule. I don’t think an anarchist group or a disgruntled customer would

I know- I just can’t imagine how he would know that far ahead where BT was going to be. Leaving the hotel when he did and walking over would be a somewhat time-variable, random choice to within 15 min or so.

I still think it's possible he didn't know BT's exact timing and intended to catch him at whatever time he approached the hotel that morning.

He might have assumed it would be after 7am but wanted to himself be in place well ahead of time.

Then when he sees BT approaching earlier than expected, with the street still emptier than it would be at any later time, he simply took the opportunity to act earlier.

MOO

 

[Gemmie]

The hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's elusive killer yields new evidence, but few answers

One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack, not a random one.

www.11alive.com

I like this from the article you posted:

"They have troves of evidence"

 

[vls12345]

They have DNA from his phone, and other items as well. They likely also have it from his hostel room.

This makes me think another reason he chose a hostel is there would be numerous other people coming and going during his stay, perhaps making his dna harder to isolate (vs. very few people going in and out of a hotel room). Jmo.

 

[Odeto BJ]

,,,,,
His shooting was sub par, and he didn't give the coup de grace. He couldn't know for sure this guy was mortally wounded.
,,,,,

There's things were necessary to him though, which is why I think this is personal issue to him in some way.

TBM for focus.

The actual shooting yields much more evidence and indicator than LE has let us know to this point. For instance: there were both shell casings and unspent rounds on the ground. The Welrod was a 5-gr LHT barrel with a proprietary 5-round magazine. The B & T Station Six-9 is a 6-groove barrel and accepts a 1911 config 6-shot magazine. The ME would certainly know which by now...
9mm PB comes in all sorts of projectile/load combinations and there were intact rounds on the ground. While the Welrod and the B & T were designed with contact firing potential, the last shots delivered were from maybe 8-feet and apparently into the back. If the rounds were weak and the projectiles "soft" and split, the damage would be entirely different than a high speed, high integrity projectile would render. Of course the latter rounds would represent a greater threat to anyone down range....

So knowing more about the ammunition would indicate whether confirmation of point of delivery was sufficient to proceed to depart; or if, as you indicated, there should have been another shot taken. Reveals a little more about the shooters competence, knowledge, preparation. Certainly using this style of gun lends a note of specificity, even singularity, to the event itself.

Trying to circumvent the morbid aspects but the shooter did depart pretty abruptly, would believe that after all this preparation he would be need to be confident of his completion.

MOO throughout.