UnitedHealthcare CEO Hit Sparks Flood of Calls from Panicked Execs to Private Security Firms as DNA Swap Could Reveal Identity
Brian Thompson's assassination in New York has sparked a surge in demand for safety.
Dec. 6 2024, Published 5:30 p.m. ET
Business tycoons have flocked to private security firms after the shocking murder of UnitedHealthcare's Brian Thompson.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the CEO's assassination in New York has sparked a surge in demand for safety, with security firms recently reporting a significant increase in inquiries from companies seeking to protect their executives.
The UnitedHealthcare CEO was gunned down on the streets of Manhattan on Wednesday morning.
Thompson was gunned down outside a Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan while on the way to his company’s annual investor conference on Wednesday morning.
The investigation for the killer is still ongoing – though a new DNA sample taken from a water bottle possibly dropped by the suspect could be a major advancement.
Security firms recently reported a significant increase in inquiries from companies seeking to protect their executives after Thompson's murder.
In the aftermath of the murder, both Pete Flintoff of Flint Security Agency and Glen Kucera of Allied Universal noted a sharp rise in requests for armed escorts, particularly from high-net-worth individuals and companies with top executives traveling.
Kucera said "hundreds of companies" had called to inquire about private security for their bosses.
He explained: "Every time there’s an incident in the US, it kind of raises awareness and people start looking at their own protocols. It's definitely a wake up call."
After Thompson's shooting, Kucera said his company received "a lot of calls [about] executives that were going to travel, they didn’t have any executive protection planned, we met them at locations and, you know, did what we do".
Flintoff, a retired New York Police Department officer, said he received three calls on Wednesday shortly after the attack.
He said one was from a person leaving New York, adding: "They were in a bit of a bind, and they wanted somebody this evening to get out of the city.
"They may have actually been at the conference that he was supposed to speak at, and were leaving immediately, immediately changing their plans, and they wanted an armed driver to Newark Airport.
"The other ones, I assume, were high net worth individuals that were looking for sort of either armed drivers or security at their residency. We also, on our website, we’ve had a little uptick, not huge, but there was definitely more traffic to the website today."
He said most CEOs of major corporations have security teams because it's typically a requirement of their company's insurance policy.
A person of interest was detained in Altoona, Pennsylvania, for questioning in connection with Thompson's murder.
Paulette Thompson, the late CEO's wife, revealed her husband had received threats in the past, which she believed were linked to issues with "lack of medical coverage".
Kucera added: "If there was a personal motive, then the executives will say: 'Ok, I don’t have that issue in my life. I don’t have to deal with that.'
Married father-of-two Thompson was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the largest private insurer in the U.S.
"If it’s tied to a business event or a business decision or a customer or a client, then clearly that rings true to every executive here in the United States... being a CEO is high risk.
"Healthcare is an emotional issue... Somebody who’s denied service, somebody was given service. You know, somebody passed away at the hospital, somebody got shot and had to go to a hospital, somebody was denied insurance protection."
He also noted how when companies grow and their employees gain more media attention, the demand for private security increases.
The motive behind Thompson's murder is still unknown, but experts believe the reason behind the killing could influence the level of concern among other executives.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Photos showed the suspected killer wearing a backpack with a black mask over his face.
The NYPD believes the gunman has escaped New York City and is still on the run. Recently, authorities released a smiling photo of him and searched a Manhattan hostel where he is thought to have stayed.
Officials have also confirmed they collected a DNA sample from a water bottle that may have been dropped by the unidentified killer.
Have a tip? Send it to us! Email RadarOnline.com at tips@radaronline.com.
