Shell casings recovered at the scene of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” found on them, law enforcement sources told ABC and NBC News.
The words were reportedly discovered by detectives on the casings at the scene of the crime outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
ABC News was the first to report the development.
Thompson, 50, was shot there shortly before 7 a.m. on Wednesday in what the New York City Police Department called a “premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack.”
Authorities had still not apprehended the shooter as of Thursday morning. The suspect was last seen biking through Central Park.
In footage from the scene, the shooter is seen approaching Thompson from behind on the sidewalk and opening fire.
Thompson was en route to speak at UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference in New York City when he was killed.
His wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News he had been receiving some threats but she didn’t know the details.
Police said in a press conference Wednesday the motive for the killing was not yet known.
Brian Thompson lived in Minnesota and, according to the company’s website, has been CEO of UnitedHealthcare since April 2021.