Motives raised for murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO

(Bloomberg) — UnitedHealth Group’s investor day went from an ordinary company meeting at a downtown Manhattan hotel to a scene of shocking grief faster than even health insurance companies could react.

“Halfway through the presentation, everyone started making headlines,” said Michael Ha, a health care analyst at Baird who sat among the roughly 275 attendees at Wednesday’s event. Start receiving news alerts on your phone. “We all looked around and we were all shocked and confused.”

Brian Thompson, 50, who headed the insurance arm of the company’s UnitedHealthcare, was shot on the sidewalk about 6:45 a.m. as he approached the hotel, leaving blood on the concrete. And the suspect is still at large.

Details of the gruesome scene are still emerging in which Thompson, who was wearing a blue suit, was shot multiple times as he walked to the New York Hilton hotel in downtown New York City early Wednesday morning. But a lingering question remains: Why would anyone want to kill Thompson?

“We are investigating everything,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenney said at a news conference. “We’re looking at his social media, we’re interviewing employees, we’re interviewing his family, we’re going to be talking to law enforcement in Minnesota.”

Police said it appeared Thompson was being targeted. Police used dogs, drones and a heavy police presence to find the suspect, who was last seen in Central Park.

A video released by the New York Police Department shows that around 6:45 a.m., a man wearing a mask approached Thompson from behind and began shooting him in the back. Although the gun malfunctioned, the gunman cleared the malfunction and continued firing 9mm rounds at him. Thompson fell to the ground and the gunman walked past him before fleeing on a Citi Bike. Thompson was transported to Mount Sinai in critical condition and pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m.

Kenney answered questions about the shooter, including whether he used a silencer, but police were unable to confirm that. “It appears that he was indeed proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to troubleshoot problems very quickly,” he said.

A person familiar with the shooting said the gunman purchased items at a nearby Starbucks before the shooting, including a bottle of water that he left in an alley when he fled. Police hope to extract DNA from a water bottle and ammunition he ejected from the gun, the person said.

UnitedHealthcare has received threats against Thompson in the past, the person said.

Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC that he had received threats, suggesting they were related to potential insurance denials. She could not immediately be reached for comment. “Basically, I don’t know, lack of coverage? I don’t know the details,” she said on a call with NBC. “All I know is that he said someone had been threatening him.”

Police said they did not know a motive. They did not say whether the shooting was related to Thompson’s personal or professional life. UnitedHealth faced a series of crises last year. The Justice Department is investigating the company for potential antitrust violations. Earlier this year, a cyberattack on its Change Healthcare subsidiary knocked out critical networks and disrupted billions of dollars in payments.

UnitedHealth’s investor day started minutes later than originally planned. CEO Andrew Witty welcomed everyone and made opening remarks on solving problems and achieving investor expectations. “We’re committed to making sure we’re always playing chess and not checkers,” he said.

They play videos. Another executive takes the stage.

Shortly before 9 a.m., headlines about Thompson’s shooting spread around the room. “Everyone is paying attention” to the news, Ha said. He and the others left the room to try to figure out what was going on. Ha wasn’t sure when the attack occurred.

People in the hall were “shocked, confused, sad, scared,” Ha said. Some people are crying. Attendees feared for their safety as they tried to piece together what few details there were. “We don’t even know if there was a shooter in the actual building. So the atmosphere was definitely very dark.”

At around 9:10 a.m., while waiting for Optum CEO Heather Cianfrocco to finish her speech, Witty cut the meeting short.

“Thanks, Heather. I’m concerned that some of you may be aware that one of our team members is dealing with a very serious medical condition,” Whitty said nearly two and a half hours after the shooting. “So I’m afraid we have to end this event today, for which I deeply apologize. I’m sure you’ll understand.

He told the audience, many of whom were watching the webcast, “we’re going to go offline now” and find a different way to update investors on the company’s status.

As attendees filed out of the room, a couple staying at the hotel said they heard the sound of a helicopter early in the morning but didn’t know what had happened until they were interviewed by reporters. It is a large hotel occupying nearly two-thirds of Manhattan.

Downstairs at the United Health Center Events, hundreds of people were attending another meeting. “I saw the ambulance, but I didn’t know what was going on,” said one attendee, Gillian Schiller.

It’s unclear when the health insurance giant became aware of the shooting. “We are deeply saddened and shocked by the passing of our dear friend and colleague,” UnitedHealth said in a statement. “Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. . We are working closely with the NYPD and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”

—With help from Angel Adebesan.

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