New York: Following the death of Brian Thompson, UnitedHealthcare CEO, in a shooting incident on Wednesday, December 4, his wife has revealed that he had received death threats earlier.This revelation comes as police scramble to trace the man who brazenly shot him outside Midtown Manhattan hotel in an alleged targeted attack.
The shooting incident has trigerred shockwaves across the city teemed with tourists visiting for the lighting of the iconic Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree. According to police, it was a targeted attack as a gunman was lying in wait for Thompson (50). News agency IANS quoted Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch as saying that the killing was “a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack” and “does not appear to be a random act of violence”.
“Millions of people will be enjoying the tree lighting tonight, among other holiday events, and the NYPD will be out there with them, keeping them safe,” she added.
According to media reports, Brian Thompson’s wife Paulette Thompson told NBC News that he had told her “there were some people that had been threatening him”. However, she didn’t reveal much details but signalled that the threats could have been issued owing to a “lack of coverage” in the company’s insurance programmes.
Thompson-led UnitedHealthcare (UHC), the largest US health insurance company with an annual revenue of $281 billion and over 140,000 employees, many stationed in India for backoffice, technology and strategy jobs.
The US health insurer offers private health insurance mostly through employers as well as offering plans under the government programmes covering senior citizens and the poor.
Further, the cops described the gunman as a light-skinned man clad in a light brown or cream-coloured jacket, wearing a black facemask and carrying a grey backpack. The Police Commissioner said that “it appears the suspect was lying in wait for several minutes” and shot Thompson as he walked to the hotel for his company’s investment conference.
He sustained bullet injuries in the leg and chest as the shooter began firing from behind. After the gun, a .9 mm weapon, jams, he is seen on security videos quickly clearing it and resuming firing.
Visuals have emerged showing the accused calmly crossing the avenue, hopping on a for-hire electric bike available around the city, and riding away. Later, the gunman was spotted at Central Park before the trail went cold. Additionally, police were working to get significant leads from the bike rental to try to locate him.
Another video emerged showing Thompson turning around towards the shooter, after being shot, before falling on the ground. Acting swiftly, ambulance workers and police arrived at the scene within minutes. They tried to resuscitate him before taking him to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead.
Thompson was appointed UHC CEO in 2021 after his 20-year-long association with the company.
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