It’s the kind of thing you expect to see in a high-budget spy thriller, not on a sidewalk in Midtown Manhattan. But on a chilly December morning in 2024, the reality of the video of Brian Thompson murder shocked the world. The footage wasn't just a recording of a crime; it was a cold, calculated sequence of events that left a Fortune 500 CEO dead and a nation debating the broken state of American healthcare.
Honestly, watching the clip is chilling. You see Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, walking alone toward the New York Hilton Midtown. He was there for an investor conference. No bodyguards. No fanfare. Just a man in a blue suit heading to work at 6:44 a.m.
Then, the shooter appears.
The Ambush Captured on Camera
The surveillance footage shows the assailant waiting. He had been there for several minutes, "posted up" and seemingly invisible to the early-morning commuters. When Thompson nears the hotel entrance, the gunman steps out from behind a parked car.
He doesn't hesitate.
From about 20 feet away, the shooter levels a 9mm pistol—fitted with a suppressor—and opens fire. The first shot hits Thompson in the back. As the executive collapses, the gunman moves closer. This is where the video of Brian Thompson murder gets even more surreal. The gun jams.
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In a display of calm that experts call "firearms proficiency," the shooter clears the jam manually. He racks the slide, ejecting a live round, and continues to fire. He wasn't some panicked amateur. He was someone who knew exactly how to handle a weapon under pressure.
What the Shell Casings Told Us
Police later recovered three live rounds and three discharged casings from the sidewalk. But it was what was on those casings that turned this from a simple murder into a national conversation.
The words "delay," "deny," and "depose" were inscribed on the metal.
If you've ever dealt with an insurance claim, those words probably sound familiar. They’re a riff on the "three Ds" of the insurance industry—a mantra used by critics to describe how companies avoid paying out. By carving these words into the ammunition, the killer wasn't just committing a crime; he was making a statement.
The Suspect: Luigi Mangione
For days, the shooter was just a masked ghost on a bicycle. He had fled into Central Park, dumped his e-bike, and vanished. But the trail didn't stay cold for long.
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On December 9, 2024, a sharp-eyed employee at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, noticed a customer who looked suspiciously like the man in the NYPD's photos. That customer was Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate and high school valedictorian.
When police moved in, they didn't just find a suspect. They found a backpack. Inside was a 3D-printed pistol, a suppressor, and a handwritten manifesto.
The notebook reportedly contained scathing criticisms of the American healthcare system. It described the industry as "parasitic" and detailed an intent to "wack" an executive to highlight the plight of patients. Mangione, once a golden boy with a master’s from the University of Pennsylvania, had seemingly transformed into a radicalized critic of corporate greed.
The Legal Battle Heading Into 2026
As of early 2026, this case is still tearing through the court system. It's complicated. You've got federal charges and state charges competing for priority.
In September 2025, a New York judge actually dismissed the "murder in furtherance of terrorism" charges, though the second-degree murder charge remains. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors are still pushing for the death penalty, a move Mangione’s lawyers are fighting tooth and nail.
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Why People Are Divided
It's weird to say, but Mangione has actually gained a following. During recent court hearings in January 2026, supporters showed up wearing green—a color associated with his family’s Italian heritage and the "Free Luigi" movement.
- The Prosecution's View: This was a cold-blooded, premeditated execution of a father of two. No amount of "activism" justifies shooting a man in the back on a public street.
- The Defense's View: They're currently trying to throw out evidence from the backpack, claiming the search in that Pennsylvania McDonald's was illegal. They also argue that the "Marvel movie" spectacle of his arrest has made a fair trial impossible.
The trial is currently slated for September 2026. Until then, the video of Brian Thompson murder remains one of the most scrutinized pieces of digital evidence in recent history.
What We Can Learn From This
Basically, this tragedy highlighted a massive security vacuum for high-profile executives. Thompson was the head of a company that touches millions of lives, yet he walked the streets of New York completely unprotected.
If you’re following this case, keep an eye on the pre-trial hearings regarding the digital evidence. The NYPD recovered a phone in an alleyway where the shooter fled. That phone, along with DNA from a discarded Starbucks cup and a granola bar wrapper, forms the backbone of the forensic case.
Next Steps for Following the Case:
- Monitor the New York Supreme Court calendar for the September trial start.
- Watch for the federal ruling on whether the 3D-printed gun evidence is admissible.
- Check for updates on the "delay, deny, depose" evidence, as some legal experts believe the inscriptions could be used to argue "extreme emotional disturbance" rather than cold-blooded intent.
The story isn't over. The video might have captured the end of a life, but the trial will likely be the start of a much larger reckoning for the industry Brian Thompson represented.