this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2024
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Summary

Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot in a premeditated attack outside the New York Hilton Midtown before speaking at an investor conference.

The gunman, still at large, fired multiple times, leaving shell casings marked with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose.”

Authorities suggest Thompson was targeted but remain unclear on the motive. His wife confirmed prior threats against him.

Analysts speculate a possible vendetta tied to his company. The case raises questions about executive security, as Thompson lacked personal protection despite known risks.

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[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 279 points 2 weeks ago (8 children)

"The motive remains unclear" is one of those things that, as a journalist, you know you have to write because it is absolutely the truth, but you hate yourself for every letter of every word because you know how fucking stupid it sounds given the circumstances.

[–] Railcar8095@lemm.ee 121 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

"I mean, there are millions of people with motive. Which one in particular we will hopefully never know"

I feel like this is going to end like Murder on the Orient Express, where...

Tap for spoiler... it turns out that literally everyone took turns shooting him.

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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 60 points 2 weeks ago (13 children)

Unless it turns out he was murdered by, for example, an irate shareholder who didn't make the money he wanted to make.

There is more than one reason he could have been murdered.

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 29 points 2 weeks ago (32 children)

Murder bingo, murder scavenger hunt, time traveler trying to stop the future apocalypse no lack of options....

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[–] Whitebrow@lemmy.world 27 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

“It is still unclear which of the potential motives caused the man to pull the trigger”

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[–] RootBeerGuy@discuss.tchncs.de 193 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

"We do not know why" haha, take a wild guess, please!

[–] Iheartcheese@lemmy.world 83 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It's unclear because there's a few different reasons somebody would want this man dead

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 43 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (9 children)

No, it's because they are immensely fearful of admitting the reason because they know a lot of other people would agree and it would potentially upset the status quo so much. And that would be bad for their masters.

Especially if it turned out to be contagious.

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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 31 points 2 weeks ago

They probably don't know which of the hundreds of thousands cases of killing and suffering were actually the cause.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 193 points 2 weeks ago (46 children)

As of about a month ago there had been ~320 murders in NYC this year.

Yet this single one has captured the media's attention nationwide and cops seem to be heavily focused on this one.

Because modern society at pretty much every institutional level sees the wealthy and powerful as not just more important than us, but they dont even see us. Hell, compare this to school shootings that only make local news now.

Historically, societies like this end in an incredibly brutal fashion. And until the wealthy and powerful really can build terminator style robot armies...

The masses are always going to win.

It's kind of the natural consequences of hyper concentration of a finite and essential resource. People rarely sit around and starve voluntarily, and once the majority are starving, people start acting like a mob.

We see it day to day over minor stuff where people just refuse to follow societial norms. Everyday we're shown that rules don't really matter, and none of the people who matter are held accountable. If someone isn't physically stopped from doing something, they take that as permission. Hell, that was the defense of most 1/6ers.

The social contract was invalidated a long time ago, people are just now realizing it. And that's the only thing that really seperates us from animals.

Crashing out is gonna be the norm pretty fucking soon, I don't think we have 4 years or that trump will be able to hold society together.

There's a very high chance we're gonna live in some interesting times.

[–] makyo@lemmy.world 65 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I think the biggest thing to emphasize - and you mentioned it but I think it bears repeating over and over - is that when the system fails to enforce justice, people will seek justice themselves. This is the social contract you mentioned. I think we should expect more of this until the system is reformed and people like this do face justice within it.

[–] Lightor@lemmy.world 36 points 2 weeks ago

"When peaceful disobedience doesn't work the people don't stop being disobedient, they stop being peaceful."

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[–] ChaoticEntropy@feddit.uk 157 points 2 weeks ago (15 children)

The case raises questions about executive security

Thankfully it doesn't raise any questions about the place of billionaire CEOs of companies making life and death decisions for the general populace for the sake of their overflowing pocket book. Boy would that be awkward.

[–] oxjox@lemmy.ml 27 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] ChaoticEntropy@feddit.uk 51 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Sure, he was in the upswing of his career making $20m a year since 2021. Also being investigated for fraud/insider trading for selling $15m of stocks before results of a federal antitrust investigation became public. Sounds swell.

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[–] 01011@monero.town 130 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I finally understand what certain people mean when they talk about "good guys with guns".

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 40 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

This was always the dream, the picture everyone tried to paint. Grabbing your powderhorn, Putting on your tricorne hat, and defending liberty against tyranny, and all that. It just never really actually happened.

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[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 125 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (137 children)

I sure hope nobody copies this behavior of retribution against the billionaire class which is responsible for almost all of the worlds suffering.

Thoughts and Prayering so hard right now.

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[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 111 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Authorities suggest Thompson was targeted but remain unclear on the motive.

Friggin Sherlock Holmes' over here.

The case raises questions about executive security

"We won't be pressured into changing the system we'll just protect the rich exploiters better"

[–] desktop_user@lemmy.blahaj.zone 48 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

if it costs less to defend the CEO than to provide good healthcare they will always go with increasing defense.

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[–] Milk_Sheikh@lemm.ee 108 points 2 weeks ago (10 children)

Despite a fairly obvious motive in general before this news broke, and now confirmation it was because of their policies, they are doing zero soul searching or reexamination of why their policies became a motive

Thompson’s killing quickly sent shockwaves through the corporate world, with corporate security heads gathering in a conference call to Wednesday.

“Many of my colleagues today are sitting down with their executive protection team leaders, their security leadership teams, and re-evaluating what they are doing and not doing,” Dave Komendat, president of Seattle-based Komendat Risk Management Services

Who had neo-Pinkertons on their 2020s bingo?

[–] sudo@programming.dev 34 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Pinkerton's still exist but are under the Swedish firm Securitas 🔴🔴🔴.

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[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 105 points 2 weeks ago (9 children)
[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 80 points 2 weeks ago

Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims And What You Can Do About It

Nope, still a complete mystery. Why it could have been any motive at all. A mugging gone wrong, perhaps? The gun accidentally went off while the guy was cleaning it while he walked around?

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 35 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

WHY INSURANCE COMPANIES DON'T PAY CLAIMS AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT

That subtitle kinda hits different these days....

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[–] Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world 98 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Its simple all you clueless colombos. Just start investigating all denied claims where the person died at a result. Shouldn't take more than a decade or so to go though that list.

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[–] taiyang@lemmy.world 98 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

To those upset that this is headline news because he's rich, remember that exposure breeds copycats.

[–] ovalofsand@lemmy.world 54 points 2 weeks ago (9 children)

It would be a shame if the rich got eaten. I do not support eating the rich

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[–] peto@lemm.ee 64 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

Shootings must be rare in NYC given how much attention this one is getting.

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[–] Shadywack@lemmy.world 62 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Thoughts and deductibles to his family.

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[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 62 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Authorities suggest Thompson was targeted but remain unclear on the motive.

Aye, that sure is a mystery for the ages. Maybe he cut somebody up in traffic?

[–] Nasan@sopuli.xyz 28 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Didn't return the shopping cart

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[–] NauticalNoodle@lemmy.ml 61 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

what's the phrase -I've never wished death upon a person but I've read some obituaries with great satisfaction?

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[–] ellen_musk_0x@lemm.ee 59 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The case raises questions about executive security,

Of course this is the lesson. Not that everyone hates you, your company, the business, etc. It's not our actions. We just need security.

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[–] tyrant@lemmy.world 51 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

To those complaining this is news because this is a rich white CEO and shouldn't be. It's fascinating to me because it seems like vengeance. It seems like it was well planned. It seems like the killer may have had a personal beef with the insurance company. I don't usually follow things like this but I think insurance companies are genuinely evil. This one has my interest.

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[–] nutsack@lemmy.world 48 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

authorities remain unclear about the motive

the authorities are fucking idiots

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[–] not_that_guy05@lemmy.world 42 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Insurance companies hate this one trick.

But no honestly, why are they acting like CEOs are fucking important?

Just parasites is all they are.

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[–] cogman@lemmy.world 35 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

LMAO. It's hilarious to me how basically nobody is mourning the death of this dude. Hopefully it is making other insurance leadership start to rethink their careers.

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[–] Zink@programming.dev 29 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Boy I hope no future healthcare CEO assassins copy this calling card, and I especially hope their bullet shells aren’t covered with the names of people killed by the CEO’s company denying them healthcare.

Not only would that encourage more copy cats, but it would really capture people’s attention and get them thinking about the issue. If the public starts considering crazy propaganda like how seeking maximum profit at the expense of widespread human suffering might not be life’s most noble pursuit, just imagine what could happen!

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[–] LiveLM@lemmy.zip 29 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Damn, he was really about sending a message 😬

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