NEW YORK (AP) According to police officials, the shooter who killed the CEO of the biggest health insurance in the United States most likely took a bus out of New York City shortly after the heinous massacre that rocked corporate America. He did, however, leave behind a backpack, which was found in Central Park.
Almost four days after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot, police were still unsure of the identity of the shooter, his location, and the reason behind the murder. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny informed reporters that investigators were investigating if the shooter might have been an unhappy employee or client of the insurance company.
On Friday evening, the FBI declared that it would be paying out $50,000 for information that would result in an arrest and conviction.
According to Kenny, the gunman was shown on camera riding a bicycle into Central Park before boarding a taxi to a bus terminal that provides Greyhound service to Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, D.C., as well as commuter travel to New Jersey.
According to Kenny, police assume the man departed the city since they have video of him entering the bus station but none of him leaving.
After a thorough search across a large region including lakes and ponds, meadows, playgrounds, and woods, investigators on Friday discovered a backpack that the shooter had worn during the shooting, according to police.
Police stated that it would be examined for hints but did not immediately disclose what, if anything, it contained.
Despite leaving a trail of evidence given the size of the country’s largest metropolis and its extensive security camera network, the shooter took sure to wear a mask for nearly the entirety of his stay in the city, including during the attack and while he was eating.
Ten days after the gunman’s arrival in New York City on November 24, Thompson was shot outside his company’s annual investor meeting at a hotel located a few streets from Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall.
According to Kenny, the shooter stepped off a bus that left Atlanta and stopped multiple times en route. Where he boarded the bus is unknown to the police. None of the people on the list that investigators have would have been required to show identification when they boarded, according to Kenny.
According to Kenny, investigators think the suspect paid cash and used a phony ID card to check in at the hostel, which is located blocks from Columbia University and offers both private and shared rooms in addition to a cafe.
In an effort to find his DNA, investigators have tested a protein bar wrapper and a discarded water bottle. A smartphone discovered along the gunman’s escape route was another source of information they were attempting to get.
According to Kenny, pictures of the alleged shooter taken in the foyer of a guesthouse on Manhattan’s Upper West Side seem to show him taking off his mask just once. The pictures depict a man grinning in the HI New York City hostel’s lobby. They are part of a set of images and videos that have been making the rounds since the massacre, including pictures of the alleged shooter at a Starbucks before the shooting and video of the assault.
According to all of the evidence we have from witnesses—including those from the hostel and Starbucks—he never took off his mask, with the exception of the one occasion we have a photo of him doing so, Kenny stated.
Additionally, according to his hostel roommates, he didn’t communicate with them. A search of the alleged shooter’s hotel room turned up nothing that might be used as evidence.
Kenny responded, “This isn’t Blue Bloods,” when asked how close he thought the cops were to making an arrest. This will not be resolved in an hour. We are meticulously reviewing every piece of evidence we can find. We’re taking our time, doing it well, and making sure we’re going to get justice for this victim and closure for his family because, eventually, when an arrest is made, we’ll have to submit all of these facts to a judge and jury.
Using a rifle with a silencer, the assailant approached Thompson from behind and fired multiple bullets, barely stopping to clear a jam as the executive slumped to the sidewalk, according to security footage of the shooting.
Although he emphasized that it hadn’t been verified, Kenny stated that police were investigating the possibility that the weapon was a veterinary pistol, which is a weapon frequently used on farms and ranches if an animal needs to be softly put down.
According to Kenny, the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” were inscribed on the ammunition, one word on each of the three bullets. The words were “deny, defend, and depose,” according to a law enforcement officer who previously spoke to The Associated Press. In regards to insurers that postpone payments, reject claims, and defend their acts, lawyers and opponents frequently use the phrase “delay, deny, defend,” which is reflected in the texts.
Thompson, a Minneapolis suburbia father of two sons, had been employed by UnitedHealthcare, a Minnesota company, since 2004 and had been its CEO for almost three years.
In New York, UnitedHealth Group Inc., the parent company of the insurer, was hosting its annual investor meeting. Following Thompson’s passing, the corporation immediately ended the conference.
UnitedHealth Group stated that its priorities were helping investigators, protecting employee safety, and providing assistance to Thompson’s family. The firm stated, “The tremendous outpouring has touched us, even though our hearts are broken.”
Over 49 million Americans are covered by UnitedHealthcare. It oversees employer-sponsored health insurance plans as well as Medicaid programs that are supported by the federal government and states.
UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and CVS were included in a Senate report in October that described the recent spike in the company’s prior authorization denial rate for certain Medicare Advantage patients.
In particular, the shooting has shook the health insurance sector, prompting businesses to review their security protocols and remove executive images from their websites. Another health care provider in Minnesota announced on Friday that, out of caution, it was temporarily closing its offices and instructing staff to work from home.
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Washington is where Balsamo reported from. Contributions to this article came from Jeff Martin in Atlanta, John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, and Jake Offenhartz, Cedar Attanasio, and Karen Matthews in New York.