A fake bomb threat targeting the Minnesota home of Brian Thompson was sent in Wednesday, hours after the UnitedHealthcare CEO was shot dead in Midtown Manhattan.
The threatening email was received by a Maple Grove City Attorney roughly 12 hours after the 50-year-old father of two was murdered outside a Hilton hotel, according to TMZ.
A bomb squad was dispatched around 7 p.m., but found no sign of the pipe bomb mentioned in the email.
Authorities were also reportedly dispatched to the nearby home of Thompson’s estranged wife, with whom he shared his children. Police were told a woman in a Jeep Renegade was seen putting something in the home’s mailbox shortly before they were called, but a search of the mailbox produced nothing suspicious.
Thompson was shot outside the Hilton Hotel on W. 54th St., where he was attending a UnitedHealthcare investors conference. Investigators are still searching for the killer, whom they believe specifically targeted Thompson.
Police later found three 9mm shell casings and live rounds at the crime scene. The words “Delay,” “Deny,” and “Defend” were etched onto the bullets, according to Daily News police sources. It’s suspected the eerie messages referenced insurance industry practices of delaying claims and maximizing profits.
Police are keying in on a suspect, but have so far made no arrests.
It’s also not known who threatened Thompson’s home. His wife reportedly said the executive had received previous threats seeming to pertain to insurance coverage issues.
While the public reacted to the brazen killing with shock, social media exploded with hostility toward the insurance industry. At least one thread on Reddit was deleted by its moderator after medical professionals torched the murdered CEO, according to the Daily Beast. Other social media platforms were inundated with content celebrating Thompson’s death.
