Bill Burr has shared his unfiltered thoughts following the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
In an episode of his Anything Better? podcast, which he co-hosts with Paul Virzi, the 56-year-old comedian addressed the recent murder of Thompson, who was shot dead by a masked gunman in New York City on December 4. The search for the suspected killer continues as police have uncovered more evidence in the case: a Tommy Hilfiger jacket, a backpack full of Monopoly money, and the words “deny,” “depose,” and “defend” carved into the bullet casings at the scene.
Speaking during the podcast, Burr admitted he was confused by people questioning the suspect’s motive.
“I was sitting there reading an article and a guy was like, ‘Oh my god, he’s such a great guy. He had a wife and kids, and he’s such a great guy,’” Burr recalled. “And then you find out, he and the other guys he’s working for are getting sued for $121 million for dumping a stock and not letting the other people know.”
Back in May, a class-action lawsuit accused Thompson and three other UnitedHealth Group executives of insider trading. The filing with the U.S. Department of Justice alleged that Thompson and other executives dumped millions of dollars worth of stock while the company was involved in an antitrust investigation.
“It’s like, there’s your motive,” Burr continued. “They’re gangsters, dude. And then one of them gets whacked or something, they’re like, ‘I was good, he was such a good guy.’
“It’s a dirty game, Paul — healthcare,” he added. “Dirty game.”
The search for the gunman who shot Thompson dead is now into its sixth day. The New York Police Department has released two new photographs of a person of interest pictured in the back of a taxi cab and walking alongside it.
The suspect is believed to have traveled to New York City on a Greyhound bus 10 days before he targeted 50-year-old Thompson, a father of two, who was shot at point-blank range near the New York Hilton Midtown just before a scheduled investor meeting.
However, instead of sharing their condolences, thousands of Americans on social media reacted to his death by addressing the injustice of the health insurance industry. Across Instagram, Reddit, TikTok and X/Twitter, many people spoke to how cruel medical insurance companies can be to their customers.
“The bullet hit the CEO outside of his allotted benefit window, so he’s not eligible for emergency treatment,” wrote one person on X/Twitter in response to a post about the killing.
“A man is dead, and no one really cares. Huh. Sounds like business as usual for United Health isn’t it?” another user on Reddit posted.
Meanwhile, an announcement on the Facebook page of UnitedHealthcare announcing Thompson’s death had 42,000 laugh emoji reactions.
