“Denial”: There was writing on the ammunition used in the CEO’s assassination

NEW YORK – The masked gunman who stalked and killed the head of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies on a Manhattan sidewalk used ammunition with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” a police official said Thursday.

The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Brian Thompson, 50, died Wednesday in an ambush as he walked to the company’s annual investor conference at a Hilton hotel in Midtown, just blocks from tourist attractions such as Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Type removed.

The words on the ammunition may have been a reference to strategies used by insurance companies to avoid paying damages.

Investigators recovered several 9mm shell casings outside the hotel and a cellphone from the alley through which the shooter fled, NYPD Chief Detective Joseph Kenny said earlier.

The murder and the shooter’s movements in the minutes before and after were captured by some of the numerous surveillance cameras in that part of the city.

Investigators believe, based on surveillance video and evidence collected at the scene, that the shooter had at least some firearms training and experience with firearms and that the weapon was equipped with a silencer, the official said.

Investigators are also looking into whether the suspect had prepositioned a bicycle as part of an escape plan, the official said. The suspect fled on a bicycle and was last seen riding into Central Park.

Authorities conducted DNA and fingerprint analysis on items found nearby, including a water bottle they believe the suspect may have discarded, the official said.

Surveillance camera video showed the gunman approach Thompson from behind, point his pistol and fire several shots. He barely paused to clear a brief weapons jam as the dying health manager fell to the ground.

Other surveillance cameras recorded the early stages of the shooter’s escape. He was seen fleeing the block across a pedestrian mall and then escaping on his bicycle. Police used drones, helicopters and dogs in an intensive search, but the killer’s whereabouts remained unknown.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that while investigators have not yet determined a motive, the shooting was not a random act of violence.

“Many people walked past the suspect, but he appeared to be waiting for his intended target,” Tisch said at a news conference Wednesday.

“It appears from the video that he is knowledgeable about firearms as he was able to troubleshoot the malfunctions fairly quickly,” Kenny said.

Police released several surveillance images of the man, who was wearing a hooded jacket and a mask that covered most of his face and would not have drawn attention on a cold winter day. Some of the photos were taken at a Starbucks coffee shop shortly before the shooting.

Police are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

“Brian was a valued colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the Minnetonka, Minn.-based insurer’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group Inc., said in a statement. “We are working closely with the NYPD and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”

Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people who had threatened him.” She did not provide details but suggested the threats may have been related to insurance coverage issues.

Eric Werner, the police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the manager.

Investigators also searched Thompson’s hotel room, interviewed his colleagues at UnitedHealthcare and checked his social media, Kenny said.

Police initially said the shooter rode a bike from the city’s bike-sharing program CitiBike into Central Park. However, a spokesman for the program operator Lyft said law enforcement officials informed the company Wednesday afternoon that the bike was not from the CitiBike fleet.

Healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group held its annual meeting with investors to update Wall Street on the company’s direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early after Thompson’s death.

Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with the company since 2004 and served as CEO for more than three years.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the United States, administering health insurance coverage for employers and state and federally funded Medicaid programs.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz posted on the social platform X that the state “directs our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.”

“This is terrible news and a terrible loss for Minnesota’s economy and health care,” the Democrat wrote.

Balsamo, Offenhartz and Sisak write for the Associated Press. Balsamo reported from Washington.