BREAKING NEWSPerson of Interest Detained in Murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO Investigation 5 Days After Shooting
Images of the suspect in the murder of CEO Brian Thompson were captured by nearby cameras.
A person of interest in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was detained by officers in Altoona, Penn., less than one week after the shocking shooting.
Local police officers were tipped off that someone who seemingly fit the description of the man suspected of shooting the insurance mogul was spotted at a McDonald's in the area.
Brian Thompson was shot dead on Wednesday, December 4.
A source told the news outlet the man also had a similar gun as the one used in the shooting — a veterinary gun used to put down bigger animals at ranches and farms. The weapon is known for making reduced noise when fired compared to other guns.
As OK! previously reported, Thompson was shot just outside of a Hilton hotel in New York City on Wednesday morning, December 4, by a person wearing a dark colored hoodie and a mask.
The shooting occurred outside of a Hilton hotel in New York.
The NYPD commissioner revealed Thompson was specifically targeted by the gunman, who had been waiting for him near the hotel.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said that the shooter ignored "numerous other pedestrians" in the area, approached Thompson from behind and shot him in the back. After the initial shot, he continued to move closer to the victim and shot him again.
Thompson was pronounced dead at Roosevelt Hospital at 7:12 a.m., roughly 30 minutes after the incident.
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While the exact motive is unclear, Thompson's wife, Paulette Thompson, said he'd received threats before and suggested it was potentially due to anger from insurance clients following "lack of coverage."
"I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him," she explained at the time.
Reporter Taylor Lorenz faced criticism for appearing to defend the shooter.
Journalist Taylor Lorenz appeared to defend the shooter mere hours after the murder took place when she shared an article to BlueSky on Blue Cross Blue Shield's former decision to halt covering the full costs of anesthesia in some surgeries.
"And people wonder why we want these executives dead," she captioned the controversial post.
Later that day, she clarified she made the post to encourage others to "learn the names of all of these insurance company CEOS" and engage in "peaceful letter-writing campaigns" to help put an end to the deaths of innocent people who are denied coverage.
"Healthcare is a human right," she added. "We need universal healthcare now."
TMZ reported the details of the person of interest's detainment.
