I’m a capitalist – I’ve never believed that there’s something inherently wrong with CEOs or corporate executives in general. That being said, the healthcare/insurance industry in America is completely f–ked, with greedy, soulless executives raking in billions/millions from denying claims to people who simply want their insurance to cover their medical bills. Given all of that, it’s actually surprising that something like this hasn’t happened before. On Wednesday morning, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in Manhattan. The shooter is still at large.

The CEO of UnitedHealthcare was fatally shot in what police said appears to be a “premeditated, preplanned targeted attack” outside the New York Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning. Brian Thompson, 50, was on his way to speak at UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference when the gunman approached from behind and “fired several rounds,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference.

He was struck at least once in the back and at least once in the right calf, Tisch said, adding that the gunman was “lying in wait for several minutes. Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” she said.

Security video shows Thompson, dressed in a blue suit, walking down the fairly quiet street. The gunman approaches him from behind and opens fire, it shows.Thompson stumbles forward as a witness runs to safety. The gunman continues to fire as Thompson falls to the ground, the video shows. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said the shooter arrived at the scene about five minutes before the shooting and fired at Thompson’s back.

“The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears that the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again,” he said. Three live 9 mm rounds and three discharged 9 mm shell casings were found at the scene, as well as a cellphone near the scene.Kenny reiterated that the shooting appears to have been a targeted attack.

“The motive for this murder is currently unknown, but based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear the victim was specifically targeted,” he told reporters. “But at this point, we do not know why.”

Thompson, who lives in Minnesota, was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai West. His wife, Paulette Thompson, said he had been receiving threats. “There had been some threats,” she told NBC News. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”

[From NBC News]

Hours ago, the police released more information about the bullet casings – the shooter engraved the casings with three words: deny, defend, depose. So… it feels personal. My gut says that the shooter did not move around like a real hit man, but he did move around like a man with a cold-blooded plan. A plan involving a getaway on a bike (but not a Citibike). I’m including the wanted poster and the video below.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, UnitedHealthcare images.