The CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was shot outside of a hotel on Wednesday, in an attack that currently was premeditated, based on the current evidence. The gunman was masked, and had been waiting outside the Hilton Midtown Hotel, just a couple blocks from the Central Park, for several minutes before walking up behind Thompson. 

The gunman shot Thompson several times in the back and leg, the gun jamming as he fired but quickly fixed. After shooting Thompson, the suspect took a bike to flee the scene, police losing him as he reached Central Park. 

NYPD officials say the gunman seemed to be proficient in firearms use, as he was able to quickly clear the repetitive jamming in the gun’s chamber before continuing to fire. The gun was also equipped with a silencer, which caused some of the jamming and adds to the conclusion that the act was premeditated.

Additionally, the NYPD has stated that the ammunition had the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” written on them, all common methods used by healthcare companies to avoid paying their client’s claims. The attack follows threats allegedly made to high level executives in UnitedHealthcare, according to Thompson’s wife. 

So far, the suspect’s face has been found, and the hunt continues to find the suspect. His name is not known, but a phone and water bottle allegedly belonging to him was found, and further clues may come from these items in days to come. 

Motivation for the attack has been speculated to be conflict with UnitedHealthcare’s services, as their denial rates for claims has been going up, even as their profits continue to grow significantly, reaching 90 billion dollars year-over-year this September. Additionally, they haven’t had a decline in profit for over ten years, and their quarterly profit growth has only declined thrice in the last five years, compared to seventeen growth quarters. 

The attack only highlights existing conflict between private healthcare and their customers, as healthcare companies cover less and less and argue more and more with their clients. UnitedHealthcare’s denial rates have also grown from 8.7% to 22.7% from 2019 to 2022. They also have been lambasted by the Senate Health Committee for their use of algorithmic denial of healthcare claims, something illegal in 4 US states. 

The shooter has yet to be identified, and it is unknown the exact motive for the targeted attack.