Shell casings found at the scene where the UnitedHealthcare CEO was shot dead by a masked gunman in front of a busy New York City hotel had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” written on them, a senior New York City law enforcement official briefed on the investigation confirmed to NBC News on Thursday.
Brian Thompson, 50, was killed in a “premeditated, preplanned targeted attack” outside the New York Hilton Midtown on Sixth Avenue in the heart of Manhattan, police said.
He was on his way to speak at UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference when the gunman who had been lying in wait for several minutes approached from behind and fired at least once into his back and at least once in the right calf, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told a news conference Wednesday.
Police say they don’t yet know the motive of the gunman, who they say is still at large.
ABC News was the first to report the words written on the bullet casings.
Thompson did not travel with any personal security detail despite known threats against him.
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“There had been some threats,” Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News on Wednesday. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
Security video showed Thompson, dressed in a blue suit, walking down the street. The gunman approached him from behind and opened fire, it showed. Thompson stumbled forward as a witness ran to safety. The gunman continued to fire as Thompson fell to the ground, the video showed.
“The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears that the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again,” Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
Thompson was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai West.
“The motive for this murder is currently unknown, but based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear the victim was specifically targeted,” Kenny told reporters. “But at this point, we do not know why.”
Prior to the shooting, the gunman purchased a water bottle and two protein bars from a nearby Starbucks and discarded the items, according to a senior New York City law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.
Investigators recovered a video showing where the suspect discarded the items, and police collected them as evidence, hoping it could aid in the investigation, the official said.
Former FBI supervisor Rob D’Amico said Wednesday that Thompson’s slaying has all the makings of a personal vendetta tied to the victim’s company.
Anyone would have been able to find the whereabouts of the high-ranking business figure with a few quick Google searches, according to D’Amico. UnitedHealthcare’s website listed an investor conference set for Wednesday, but it did not mention a location.
“Even a layman can find there’s so much on the internet now and people put so much out there,” said D’Amico, now a security consultant.
No current or former executives of UnitedHealth Group receive regular company-funded personal security service, according to the insurance giant’s two most recent proxy statements. Companies have to report security expenses for directors or corporate officers if the value exceeds $10,000 per year.
Two of UnitedHealthcare’s peers, Humana and Cigna, both said in their most recent proxy statements that they provide personal security to executives. SEC records, though, did not disclose which executives received this protection or how much was being spent.
CVS Health, another major player in health insurance, requires its CEO to use corporate aircraft and a corporate driver as part of a disclosed “executive security program,” according to regulatory filings.
