A former FBI supervisor speculated about the reason for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and said his itinerary could have easily been tracked.
Robert D'Amico, who now works as a security consultant, told NBC News that the attack was likely a personal vendetta against UnitedHealthcare and that "even a layman" could find out his location. "There's so much on the internet now and people put so much out there," D'Amico added.
Thompson was in New York City and was set to attend the company's annual investor meeting, but the company had not disclosed the location, the Daily Mail reported.
Officials said the gunman appeared to be "lying in wait" for at least five minutes before encountering the victim. He then used a gun with a silencer to shoot and kill him.
These are images of the individual sought in connection to this investigation. If anyone has information as to the identity or location of this individual please contact @NYPDTips at 1(800)577-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/sm2GuEOYk1
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 4, 2024
Security footage showed the gunman calmly walking behind Thompson before shooting him. As the victim tumbles and falls to the ground, the killer struggles with the gun for a few moments before managing to shoot him again.
"Every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack," NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters at a press briefing following the deadly incident.
The suspect has been described as a light-skinned male. He was last seen wearing a light brown or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and a "very distinctive" gray backpack.
Tisch said that even though investigators have not established a motive yet, the killing was not random.
"Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target," she said.
Authorities later discovered that the bullets used to kill Thompson had words engraved. Investigators found three live 9-millimeter rounds and three discharged casings, each engraved with words "deny," "depose," and "defend," according to multiple reports, citing police sources.
These terms closely resemble the title of the book Delay, Deny, Defend, authored by Jay Feinman, which criticizes insurance practices.
Thompson's wife Paulette said her now-late husband had received threats related to his position. "There had been some threats," Paulette Thompson told NBC News.
"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."
Authorities are offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with information that can lead to an arrest.
