Month: December 2024

The New York Police Department released two new photos of the ‘person of interest’ in the ongoing manhunt for the masked gunman who shot dead UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a  New York City hotel on Wednesday, in what the NYPD are calling a “premeditated, preplanned targeted attack.”

NYPD released the first unmasked images Thursday of the individual wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting, and asked the public for help identifying that individual. The images were taken from a hostel in the Manhattan Valley area of the Upper West Side. Authorities described the gunman as a white male who wore a tan-colored jacket, a black face mask and black-and-white sneakers, and carried a gray backpack.

Additional evidence in the case was discovered, in which shell casings found at the scene had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” written on them. officials said they are examining whether the words relate to a possible motive involving insurance companies and their responses to claims. ABC News reported that officials said they are examining whether the words relate to a possible motive, with the alliteration  a comment on the tactics that opponents say insurance companies use to delay or deny policyholders’ claims.

Thompson, 50, didn’t travel with any personal security detail despite known threats against him, and was staying at the nearby Marriott hotel across the street before heading to the Hilton Midtown Hotel for the UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference. The CEO was shot multiple times before 7 a.m. ET Wednesday, by the masked gunman who fled on a bike and headed to Central Park before police arrived. Authorities recovered three live rounds and three discharged shell casings from the scene.

Police have asked anyone who might know something about the shooting or the gunman to either report what they know to Crime Stoppers or submit tips anonymously online. The NYPD is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the suspect’s arrest and conviction.

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A federal judge on Thursday rejected a plea deal between Boeing and the Justice Department, after they agreed to plead guilty to a fraud charge and pay more than $243 million to resolve cases linked to two fatal plane crashes, which killed a total of 346 people in 2018/2019.

According to court filings, Judge Reed O’Connor rejected Boeing’s plea agreement, citing criticism from victims’ family members that Boeing’s deal to have an independent monitor oversee its compliance and safety programs was a “sweetheart deal”. The Judge has given both Boeing and the Justice Department 30 days to update the court on how they plan to proceed in the case.

Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a fraud conspiracy charge in July and pay a fine of $243.6 million, as well as invest about $455 million in compliance and safety programs and implement a third-party monitor to track the company’s compliance with regulations. O’Connor argued that the agreement had improperly required prosecutors to consider diversity and inclusion when selecting the monitor, a consideration that minimized the position’s role, stating “these provisions are inappropriate and against the public interest.” O’Connor also disagreed with the monitor answering to the Justice Department rather than the court, saying the provision would “erroneously marginalize” the court.

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