The public is racing to find evidence that might lead to the gunman who killed health insurance CEO Brian Thompson. When does crowdsourcing detective work help police, and when can it cause harm?
The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan has set internet sleuths off on their own investigations into finding the killer and his motive, after the suspect seemingly disappeared from one of the most surveilled cities in the U.S.
Online, amateur detectives and true crime fans have been poring over police-released photos of a person of interest — one showing a smiling, unmasked man in a hoodie, seen in the lobby of a hostel the suspect stayed at beforehand — and zooming in on surveillance camera footage.
On X, Reddit, 4Chan, and other online forums, the public has weighed in with their conclusions about the brand of the suspect’s backpack, the type of gun accessory he used, and other details that could lead to tracking down the killer.
« Dude had a suppressor, which is an extremely difficult thing to acquire, especially in a state like New York », one person said on Reddit.
Others are theorizing what kind of person would flee the scene on what police said was an unmarked e-bike, and what the suspect’s purchase says about him.
« Water and protein bar implies he cares about his health to a certain degree », another Reddit user posited. « What kind of mad man would choose water and protein bar for their last meal. »
As the police investigation entered its third day, there was no indication that authorities had found or put a name to the gunman. Police said they believed the suspect had fled New York City on a bus.
The New York Police Department said the evidence indicates that the attack was premeditated. Carved on bullet casings found at the scene read the words « deny », « defend » and « depose » — tactics used by insurers to deny claims, and described in a 2010 book critical of the industry titled Delay Deny Defend.
