Bullets and shell casings from the Wednesday shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson contain the words "deny," "depose" and "defend."
What Happened: According to the New York Post, citing police records, new clues connected to the bullets from the incident could point to a motive for the gunman who is still at large.
Two of the words on the bullets and casings could be directly linked to a 2010 exposé on the insurance business. The 2010 book "Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims And What You Can Do About It," authored by Jay Feinman, contains a title eerily similar to the words left on the bullets.
New York police recovered three casings and three live rounds at the crime scene.
Surveillance footage showed the shooter firing at Thompson at close range. He quickly fixed a malfunction with the weapon prior to firing. This prompted police officials to believe the shooter was experienced.
The gun also appeared to have a silencer, which can cause weapons to malfunction or jam, CNN reports citing experts.
Why It's Important: Thompson joined UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) in 2004. He had been CEO of the insurance division, UnitedHealthcare, since April 2021.
The former executive was one of several under investigation by the Department of Justice for insider trading, the New York Post reported.
Without locating the killer, a motive has not been officially determined. Early evidence could point to Thompson being targeted for his company rejecting insurance claims. Health insurance companies often have to decide which claims to accept and how much coverage to provide to customers.
While the investigation is early, without locating the shooter, the big question remaining is if the shooter had a connection to Thompson or if he was a hired gunman.
Thompson's wife, Paulette, told NBC News her husband had received several threats before the shooting.
"There had been some threats," she told NBC News. "Basically, I don't know, a lack of coverage? I don't know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."
Price Action: UnitedHealth Group stock is down 3% to $592.79 Thursday versus a 52-week trading range of $436.38 to $630.73. The stock closed at $610.79 Wednesday, up from Tuesday's closing price of $605.23.
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