Police investigate Central Park amid search for UnitedHealth CEO’s killer
Investigators from the New York Police Department (NYPD) were observed in Central Park on Saturday, as the department continues searching for evidence from the Dec. 4 killing of Brian Thompson. (Christina Coulter / Fox News Digital)
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., didn’t mince words while tearing into New York magazine for an article suggesting resentment over denied insurance claims made UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder “inevitable.”
“No shortage of s—-y takes on the 2024 election or on this assassination,” the Pennsylvania senator wrote in an X post on Saturday.
“The public execution of an innocent man and father of two is indefensible, not ‘inevitable.’ Condoning and cheering this on says more about YOU than the situation of health insurance,” he added.
Thompson was gunned down outside a hotel in Manhattan on the way to a company conference on Wednesday morning, spawning a now days-long investigation as the suspect remains on the run.
SHOCKING VIDEO SHOWS UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO BRIAN THOMPSON GUNNED DOWN ON NYC STREET
US Senator John Fetterman, then Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, speaks at a reception for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in Philadelphia on October 28, 2022. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The motive behind the assassination remains unclear, though bullet casings left behind at the crime scene were found with words “deny”, “depose” and “defend” written on them – a possible reference to the book “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.”
Reactions to Thompson’s death have poured in across the web and in the media, with some speculating outrage over denied coverage perhaps inspired the event, including New York magazine’s article titled “The Shooting That Was Inevitable. Our political system is breaking down. Now it has killed.”
“Christopher McNaughton needed care for his ulcerative colitis, which had already caused him to develop arthritis, diarrhea, fatigue, and blood clots that could kill him. The disease was one problem; his insurance company, UnitedHealthcare, soon proved to be another,” the article began, setting the stage for a discussion about health issues that have gone unaddressed as a result of denied or shoddy coverage.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning. (Photo Credit: Businesswire | NYPD Crimestoppers)
The piece went on to pull in examples of less-than-empathetic commentary, including one X post that read, “Today, we mourn the death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, gunned down…. wait, I’m sorry — today we mourn the deaths of the 68,000 Americans who needlessly die each year so that insurance company execs like Brian Thompson can become multimillionaires.”
On the note of the words inscribed on the bullet casings, writer Sarah Jones suggested it’s “obvious” the gunman meant to send a “public message,” adding that “some appear open to it.”
Commenters weighing in on Fetterman’s searing take largely agreed with his sentiments, with multiple users thanking him for calling out the outlet.
Fox News Digital reached out to New York magazine for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
