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6 Key Data Points The NYPD Will Use To Get UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Shooter
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6 Key Data Points The NYPD Will Use To Get UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Shooter

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Speculation about the shooting Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthCare continues to rage. While this may be interesting, the truth is that the field investigation will be far more prosaic than glamorous. For today’s detectives, serious crime investigations combine the work of grinding “shoe leather” with data-driven digital forensics. This can be an impressive amount of information.

As such, let’s look at some concrete data points that are likely starting points for investigators who must play the percentages (and some who do not):

1. “Hit killers”, in the common sense of the term, do not really exist

The idea that someone off the street can walk into a social club or call a guy who knows a guy who kills for a living is basically a myth – I don’t remember it from my experience. That said, murder-for-hire does exist (i.e. an associate who is not a “professional” is willing to hire).

UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO’S ASSASSIN LEFT A MESSAGE TO ‘MAKE A STATEMENT’ OR ‘THROW THE POLICE’: DETECTIVES

But speculating on whether the shooter was a “professional” or not is beside the point – the police don’t care. What they’re interested in now are concrete data points that can identify the shooter. The killer’s professional status is, at best, flourishing if the case reaches the trial stage.

Surveillance footage released by New York police shows the alleged suspect wanted in the shooting death of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson.

Surveillance footage released by the New York Police Department shows the alleged suspect wanted in the shooting death of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. (NYPD)

2. Timing is everything

Currently – and this is not surprising – information regarding the case is exploding. But what detectives focus on most are the indicators they can count on, like: How did the shooter know Thompson would be showing up at a conference from 8 a.m. to 6:40 a.m.? Did the shooter have access to Thompson’s schedule or movements?

Remember that the shooter apparently “posted himself” near the scene of the shooting only a few minutes before the shooting. Was there an accomplice watching Thompson as he left his nearby hotel? Is who the shooter was on the phone with, in the another NYPD photo released?

And following this question…

3. How did the shooter recognize Thompson so instantly?

The shooter was along the construction line across the street when Thompson arrived at the block. The video shows the shooter apparently recognizing Thompson from a distance of at least 60 feet, at dusk, in the early morning. Again: how did he know Thompson was coming?

Thompson was of a rather unremarkable build and appearance. How was he so sure that was his target? Especially since he approaches Thompson from behind? It seems unlikely that this could be achieved from a reference photo.

One thing we can conclude: Thompson was the target – the messages on the shell casings left at the scene, whether it was a false flag or not, confirm this.

4. Digital data will be essential

Police reportedly recovered a phone in the alley “crossed” through which the shooter fled from West 54th Street to West 55th Street. Was the shooter really that reckless? If he was – and he did make the phone call shown in the photo – this is crucial information.

Legal procedures will allow search warrants to be obtained to obtain the digital information indicating who this call was intended for and the number it came from (even if it was a disposable phone). While this may not lead to the shooter’s name, it could lead to all of his cell phone activity – and to the shooter’s associates who will almost certainly reveal his identity, either through interviews or simple context.

A screenshot of surveillance footage released by New York police shows an alleged person of interest wanted in connection with the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

A screenshot of surveillance footage released by the NYPD shows an alleged person of interest wanted in connection with the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. (NYPD Crime Stoppers)

Additionally, the shooter reportedly took an Uber at least once during his 10-day stay in the city. Uber accounts are linked to credit cards. Did he use his real card? Even if he used a stolen card, if he took other Uber trips, his pattern can be established.

And since the shooter appears to have his flight path well planned, it’s also likely that he’s already flown this route. Is there a video of him doing this before filming? Was his phone on during these walks?

5. Facial recognition is indeed important

As of this writing, with good images of the shooter’s face, many observers are expressing frustration that he (if the shooter is male) has not at least been identified. But: he may well have been, and the police decided they were more likely to apprehend him without revealing that they knew his identity and/or where he likely was. This is especially true if they think he has accomplices.

The use of facial recognition software has probably already been significant, as clear facial photos such as those allegedly obtained at the hostel may well have led to the discovery of the Greyhound bus to New York.

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There are thousands of cameras that police facial recognition technology has access to, and there are many in and around the Downtown Port Authority (the place from where buses to New York usually arrive and depart). The use of facial recognition technology could well lead to software linking the shooter to a public social media or government account.

6. Traditional forensics is important – but perhaps less important at the moment

Although fingerprints are excellent evidence, if the shooter is not already in the system, they will only serve as confirmation here (as in, for example, the conviction of José Ibarra regarding Laken Riley).

The same goes for DNA. Although this is excellent evidence at trial, if the killer’s profile is not already in CODIS (the Combined DNA Index System), the DNA collected may not be useful. But remember that in the Idaho case, family DNA would have led to a lead to a member of the suspect’s family, Bryan Kohberger. If the shooter has a relative in one of the commercial DNA databases, that could lead him. But it will take time.

And since the shooter appears to have his flight path well planned, it’s also likely that he’s already flown this route. Is there a video of him doing this before filming? Was his phone on during these walks?

There are, of course, many other avenues police are following — the reported threats against Thompson, the protesters against UnitedHealthCare, the unusual weapon, the litigation Thompson was allegedly involved in, etc. the points are now the most important “leads” for investigators.

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And what those of us who express our opinions on this crime should always remember: whatever the outcome, we are discussing the loss of a man’s life – a man with a family – at the hands of a cold-blooded murderer. This is the most important fact underlying this whole affair.

The good news: It’s almost impossible to afford this kind of thing now, especially in midtown Manhattan. The NYPD will arrest this perpetrator – it’s just a matter of time.

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