As the authorities expand their search effort to nab the masked assailant who gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, internet sleuths are refusing to step in to provide any help. The assassin fired multiple rounds on Mr Thompson from behind in the early morning using a gun with a silencer attached to it. He fled the scene on a bicycle before entering Central Park with the police claiming that he may have fled the city by bus. Several videos and still images going viral on social media show the gunman calmly going about his business after the killing.
Despite the trail of evidence, the authorities have been unable to catch him so far. Online armchair detectives and true crime enthusiasts who usually end up solving such cases have been uncharacteristically reluctant to provide any help, primarily owing to the history of the healthcare company in denying claims to those in need.
Michael McWhorter, better known as TizzyEnt on social media, where he posts true crime and viral news content said the community was indifferent to the death of the top Manhattan CEO.
"I have yet to see a single video that's pounding the drum of 'we have to find him,' and that is unique," said Mr McWhorter in one of the videos, adding: "And in other situations of some kind of blatant violence, I would absolutely be seeing that."
Savannah Sparks, who has 1.3 million followers on her social media and has previously helped train police officers on how to track suspects online, told NBC News, "Absolutely the f--- not," when asked if she was working to find the suspect.
Another online sleuth who goes by the handle thatdaneshguy told his followers in a video: "I don't have to encourage violence. I don't have to condone violence by any means. But I also don't have to help."
Danesh added that he had removed a photo that may have helped the police find the killer as he did not want to "accidentally help".
Reward offered to identify gunman
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering $50,000 for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman. The FBI's reward is in addition to a $10,000 reward offered by the police. As per the New York Police Department (NYPD), the attack appears to be pre-mediated based on the evidence collected so far.
The bullet casings found at the scene were carved with the words, "deny," "defend" and "depose" -- the three tenets employed by insurers to deny claims, and described in a 2010 book critical of the industry titled Delay Deny Defend.
Also Read | Massive Search In New York To Find Suspect Who Shot UnitedHealth CEO
UnitedHealth is the largest US health insurer, providing benefits to tens of millions of Americans. However, the company has received widespread scrutiny for leaving its customers in peril when they seek healthcare benefits for the hefty insurance premiums they have paid for years. Notably, Thompson joined UnitedHealth in 2004 and became the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, a unit of UnitedHealth Group, in April 2021.
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