Despite a nationwide manhunt, the search for the unknown gunman who assassinated United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson has failed to turn up any real leads, with authorities believing that the shooter has in fact already left New York City for parts unknown. An initial $10,000 reward offered by federal authorities for information has since continued to climb, reaching $50,000 only a few hours ago per the FBI.
It seems likely that this number will continue to climb. Thompson's killing has failed to inspire much sympathy from the general public, with many pointing to his company's record-setting level of coverage denials and the multi-million-dollar bonuses it enabled. Indeed, it seems Thompson's business practices were a primary motive for the shooter – "deny," "defend" and "depose" were found written on the discarded shell casings of the three bullets that took Thompson's life, clear references to strategies insurance companies will use to deny payouts to their clients.
With the public seeming to sympathize with the shooter and even holding lookalike competitions, it seems law enforcement is on its own with this one. With no identifying information and the fact that he could be anywhere in the country, however, the trail going cold seems the most likely outcome.
