It was 6:44 a.m. in Midtown Manhattan. Cold. Quiet, for New York anyway.
Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was walking toward the New York Hilton Midtown. He was there for an investor conference. He never made it inside.
If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve likely seen snippets or heard about the unitedhealthcare shooting full video. It’s a piece of footage that is as clinical as it is terrifying. It isn't just a "viral clip"—it is the central pillar of a massive federal murder case that has turned an Ivy League graduate into a polarizing figure and a corporate executive's death into a national flashpoint.
The footage that shocked the country
The unitedhealthcare shooting full video captures a level of premeditation that honestly feels like something out of a scripted thriller.
In the CCTV recording, you see Thompson walking along West 54th Street. He’s alone. A man in a mask and a dark hoodie, carrying a backpack, waits between two parked cars. He doesn't hesitate. He steps out, levels a suppressed 9mm pistol, and fires.
The most chilling part? The gun jams.
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In the video, you can clearly see the shooter calmly racking the slide to clear the malfunction. He doesn't panic. He doesn't run. He just fixes the weapon and keeps shooting while Thompson tries to scramble away. It’s that specific moment—the mechanical clearing of a "ghost gun"—that led investigators to believe this wasn't a random mugging. It was an execution.
What the surveillance actually shows
- The Wait: The shooter was seen on camera waiting for several minutes, specifically targeting Thompson.
- The Pursuit: After the initial shots, the gunman follows Thompson toward the hotel entrance.
- The Escape: The shooter flees on an e-bike, heading toward Central Park.
Who is Luigi Mangione?
The man eventually arrested for this is Luigi Mangione. He’s 27. He went to Penn. He comes from a wealthy, well-known Maryland family. Basically, he is the last person you’d expect to be sitting in a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, with a 3D-printed gun and a manifesto in his bag.
When police caught up with him on December 9, 2024, they didn't just find a weapon. They found a 262-word handwritten document. It wasn't just a "bad day" note. It was a scathing critique of the American healthcare system. He allegedly called the industry "parasitic."
That’s where things got weird.
Instead of universal condemnation, a weirdly large group of people on the internet started treating him like some kind of folk hero. They’re calling him a "symbolic takedown" of corporate greed. It’s a mess.
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The "Delay, Deny, Depose" Mystery
One of the most talked-about details from the crime scene—and something verified by the unitedhealthcare shooting full video evidence—is what was written on the shell casings.
Police found three spent casings and three live rounds that had been ejected during the gun jams. On them were the words:
- DELAY
- DENY
- DEPOSE
These aren't just random words. They are a direct reference to a 2010 book (and a general legal strategy) often associated with how insurance companies handle claims to avoid paying out. It’s a very specific, very pointed message. It suggests that the shooter didn't just want Thompson dead; he wanted to make a political statement about the insurance industry.
Where the case stands in 2026
Fast forward to January 2026, and the legal battle is getting intense.
Just a few days ago, on January 9, Mangione was back in a Manhattan federal court. His lawyers are playing hardball. They’re trying to get the death penalty taken off the table, and they’re even challenging how the police searched his backpack after the arrest.
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There’s also a huge debate about Attorney General Pam Bondi. Mangione's team claims she has a conflict of interest because her former firm did work for UnitedHealthcare’s parent company.
The trial is tentatively set for late 2026, maybe even early 2027. It’s going to be a circus.
Why the video is still the key
The defense is fighting to suppress the items found in the backpack—the gun, the notebook, the "manifesto"—arguing the search was illegal. If they win that, the prosecution’s case relies almost entirely on that unitedhealthcare shooting full video and the digital breadcrumbs Mangione left behind, like his bus trip from Atlanta and his stay at a Manhattan hostel.
Actionable Insights: Navigating the Information
If you are following this case, it’s easy to get lost in the "hero" vs. "villain" narrative. Here is how to stay grounded in the facts:
- Stick to Court Filings: Most of the "leaked" videos on TikTok are edited or fake. Stick to reputable news sources like the Associated Press or CBS News that have access to the actual exhibits from the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
- Understand the "Ghost Gun" Factor: This case is a major test for how law enforcement tracks 3D-printed firearms. The weapon used in the video was a "ghost gun" Glock 19 spec, which is notoriously hard to trace without the physical evidence found in Pennsylvania.
- Monitor the Federal vs. State Balance: Mangione is facing charges from both New York State and the Federal government. New York dismissed some of the "terrorism" labels recently, but the federal government is still pushing for the death penalty.
The unitedhealthcare shooting full video remains one of the most significant pieces of evidence in modern criminal history, not just because it shows a crime, but because it sparked a massive national debate about the ethics of the very industry Brian Thompson led. Whether you see it as a tragedy or a symptom of a broken system, the trial of Luigi Mangione is set to be the defining legal event of the year.
Stay updated on the official trial schedule through the Southern District of New York (SDNY) court calendar to see when the next hearings regarding the backpack evidence will take place.