Cryptic words were scrawled on shell casings recovered at the Midtown scene where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed on Wednesday, high-ranking NYPD officials confirmed on Thursday morning.
The shooting took place outside a Midtown Hilton hotel where Thompson had planned to attend an investor conference. Police officials said they executed a search warrant at another nearby hotel where Thompson was staying. Police also said they were visiting hostels on the Upper East and Upper West sides as part of their investigation.
The police officials did not say how many shell casings the NYPD recovered, but according to several reports, they included the terms “deny,” “defend” and “depose.” Police officials confirmed those reports to Gothamist but did not provide further details on what was written. They said it was still unclear whether the words were written in marker or otherwise engraved on the casings, as the investigation continued.
The words on the bullet casings could provide some insight into the motive of the shooter, who officials said carried out a targeted, premeditated attack against the 50-year-old executive outside the New York Hilton Midtown Hotel on Sixth Avenue, where UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference was due to be held on Wednesday.
In online forums, several users noted the similarity to the name of 2010 the book “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It,” by Jay M. Feinman.
As of Thursday morning, no alleged shooter had yet been caught or charged. Police said the shooter was last seen on Wednesday morning riding an e-bike in Central Park, adding that they were scrutinizing surveillance video in the area and employing dozens of drones to try to track his movements.
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