The Disturbing Words Engraved On Bullets At UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's Crime Scene

"Delay" and "depose" — two cryptic words allegedly engraved on evidence left at the scene where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in midtown Manhattan on the morning of December 4, 2024. CNN reported that "delay" was engraved on a live round found at the scene, while "depose" was on a shell casing — meaning the "depose" bullet was one that was fired into the victim. Elsewhere, CBS News alleged that "deny" was also found at the scene among the casings and bullets.

The masked man caught on camera pulling the trigger is still at large as of this writing, and his motives remain unclear. But the NYPD's revelation that the shooter seemingly left a message behind has speculation running rampant online. According to ABC News, the 50-year-old CEO was shot in the back outside the Hilton Hotel around 6:40 a.m. while in the city for an investor meeting. The shooter fled on an e-bike into Central Park, leaving a phone and a bottle of water behind, triggering a massive manhunt.

Why "delay," deny," and "depose"? Police are investigating a possible connection to a 2010 book: "Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It," written by Rutgers Law School professor Jay M. Feinman. The title is a reference to a tactic allegedly used by insurance companies to deny legitimate claims. "Depose" — meaning to remove from office — is seemingly the assassin's eerie addition to that formula.

The morning after the shooting, the NYPD released two photos of the man who is believed to be the assassin, showing him for the first time with his mask off. As reported by CNN, police described the shooter as a "light-skinned male" wearing "a light brown or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and a very distinctive gray backpack." At a press conference the day of the shooting, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny suggested the man had firearms training, as surveillance footage shows he easily cleared the jams in his silenced weapon. "It does seem that he's proficient in the use of firearms," Kenny told the media, "as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly." A law enforcement source told The New York Times that the shooter may have been staying with strangers at a hostel on the Upper West Side, but little else is known about him at this time.

Brian Thompson's widow, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that her husband had recently been threatened over issues pertaining to his profession. "Yes, there had been some threats," she confirmed to the outlet on the day of the shooting, before speculating on what might have motivated them. "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."

As reported by the Daily Mail, the parent company of Thompson's employer, UnitedHealth Group (UHG) — the world's largest healthcare company by revenue — has a long history of rejecting patient claims. In July 2024, protests erupted at UHG headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota, with People's Action Institute activists alleging in a letter to CEO Andrew Witty, "UnitedHealth Group's profiteering by denying care is a disgrace, leaving people across Minnesota and all of the United States without the care they desperately need."

In November 2023, a class action lawsuit accused UHG of using a faulty AI algorithm to "prematurely and in bad faith discontinue payment for healthcare services," Reuters reported. According to The New York Times, Thompson was paid $10.2 million in 2023, and profits grew by over $4 billion on his watch. UnitedHealthcare executives were the focus of a Department of Justice investigation for alleged insider trading and fraud at the time of his death, though it's unclear if he was one of them.