# UnitedHealthcare CEO fatally shot in Manhattan \[breaking news: 2024-12-04\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** breaking-news\ **Created:** [December 4, 2024, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159 "2024-12-04T16:11:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/163 "2024-12-05T13:22:54Z")
My speculation is a Venn diagram. In one very large circle is people whose loved ones have been wronged by this insurance company. There’s an overlapping circle of people whose loved ones with insurance from this company who have died badly. And there’s a third, very small circle of people who work as professional assassins. The killer may be from the intersection of the three circles: a professional killer whose wife, or mother, or brother, had a claim denied. Or maybe the killer was hired by someone already involved in organized violent crime whose loved one died. As for grief? I’m not going to dance on the grave, because I’m just not much of a grave-dancer. But around 170,000 people died yesterday. We’re not hearing about this death because he was a good guy, but because he was rich and because he died dramatically. I’ll mourn his death, but he’s got to get in a line of 170,000 deaths to mourn, and he’ll be near the back. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/164 "2024-12-05T13:23:32Z")
Professional or not? Experts disagree. > **[Law enforcement analyst breaks down what video reveals about shooter | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/05/us/video/mccabe-brian-thompson-unitedhealthcare-digvid)** > > CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe joins Kasie Hunt to discuss the latest developments in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. > **[Gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare boss Brian Thompson a 'practised,...](https://news.sky.com/story/amp/gunman-who-killed-unitedhealthcare-boss-brian-thompson-a-practised-seasoned-trained-professional-says-fbi-expert-13267265)** > > Former FBI special agent Terry Rankhorn says the "chilling" shooting of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson was carried out by "someone who knows their craft". ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/165 "2024-12-05T13:26:34Z")
The “chilling” shooting, heh. They really are trying to push that narrative despite nobody buying it, aren’t they? ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/166 "2024-12-05T13:27:36Z")
> I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom I can tell you I don’t have money, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you [ed: health insurance executives]. If you let my daughter go now [ed: cover her surgery] that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you, but if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you. —Liam Neeson, _Taken_ Not speculating here. Just a great scene/quote 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/167 "2024-12-05T13:32:19Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The “chilling” shooting, heh. They really are trying to push that narrative despite nobody buying it, aren’t they? It strikes me as an extremely accurate summary. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/168 "2024-12-05T13:46:23Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I’ve never been in the market, but I bet a professional hit like this isn’t cheap. Depends whether the killer is in-network. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/169 "2024-12-05T13:48:16Z")
For all those who want to get into a political discussion of what this means, i created a thread for you. > [@United healthcare CEO assassinated, the P&E edition {This is not a gun debate/statistics thread!}](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition/1011195): > > This is the central meaning of this event, regardless of the killer’s actual motivation. Maybe i should have just started it ab novo in the pit? Not too late for anyone to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/170 "2024-12-05T14:01:09Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > It strikes me as an extremely accurate summary. Not to most people, as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/171 "2024-12-05T14:37:48Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Professional or not? From one of the articles: “What you can determine from his behaviour is this person is a practised, seasoned, trained professional killer,” Mr Rankhorn said. More useless FBI “profiling”. I bet the shooter is also 25-35, lives alone, and works by himself. Probably lives near water and a church. Hire me. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/172 "2024-12-05T14:42:19Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > As for grief? I’m not going to dance on the grave, because I’m just not much of a grave-dancer. But around 170,000 people died yesterday. We’re not hearing about this death because he was a good guy, but because he was rich and because he died dramatically. I’ll mourn his death, but he’s got to get in a line of 170,000 deaths to mourn, and he’ll be near the back. Nobody grieves for random strangers. That’s not a thing that exists. But according to you being ambushed and assassinated on the streets of NYC for being the CEO of a company who may have denied an insurance claim is completely unremarkable and not very different to the tens of thousands of people who died peacefully in their sleep of old age yesterday? No word of condemnation, sympathy for the family, nothing? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/173 "2024-12-05T14:45:20Z")
Edit: moving to the P&E. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/174 "2024-12-05T14:50:59Z")
I was thinking pro, but I really can’t imagine a pro going into any store right before the shooting. Completely unnecessary risk. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/175 "2024-12-05T14:59:10Z")
That’s what I came in here to say. A pro would know where all the cameras were, would not have bought water and snacks at Starbucks, would not have dropped a phone, even if it was a burner. A pro would appear out of nowhere and vanish, not hop a bike. My humble opinion is the CEO has the goods on something or someone big and was murdered to keep him quiet. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/176 "2024-12-05T15:12:14Z")
> [@](#): > > Shell casings found at the scene where the [UnitedHealthcare CEO was shot dead by a masked gunman](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-fatally-shot-nyc-hotel-police-say-rcna182789) 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. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/177 "2024-12-05T15:12:16Z")
A pro would have done it in is neighborhood, not in the middle of fucking Manhattan. This is ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/178 "2024-12-05T15:22:59Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > > It strikes me as an extremely accurate summary. > > Not to most people, as far as I can tell. Victim aside, I would say an execution style killing in midtown Manhattan in broad daylight is pretty “chilling.” ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/179 "2024-12-05T15:30:08Z")
> **hidden by WE?** > > What were his politics? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/180 "2024-12-05T15:34:42Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Victim aside, I would say an execution style killing in midtown Manhattan in broad daylight is pretty “chilling.” Most people seeing to be cheering it on, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/181 "2024-12-05T15:48:14Z")
> [@peedin](#): > > A pro would appear out of nowhere and vanish, not hop a bike. One of the commentators commented that the bike was actually quite effective: > “The e-bike is actually a shockingly effective tool in New York City because of the traffic… they can weave in and out of traffic even if he was being pursued by a police-marked vehicle.” Faster than on foot, able to navigate the streets, and got him quickly to Central Park which is a big open area with fewer security cams. His trail ended there. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/182 "2024-12-05T15:50:42Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > A pro would have done it in is neighborhood, not in the middle of fucking Manhattan. This is ridiculous. Maybe, maybe not. The massive and chaotic environment of that area certainly makes it easy to just fade into nothing. After all, they have no idea where he is or what he looks like (aside from the pic from Starbucks, which as I mentioned is what makes me think not a pro) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159.md?page=10)