The New York Police Department is currently looking into the appearance of “wanted” posters across Manhattan, which feature the names and pictures of prominent corporate leaders. These posters come after the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown last week. Thompson’s likeness, marked with a red X, has been seen on these posters, alongside the names and images of various other executives in the insurance and financial sectors, as reported by Bloomberg. Social media videos have shown these posters appearing in lower Manhattan, according to the New York Post.
The posters declare that “HEALTH CARE CEOS SHOULD NOT FEEL SAFE” and display the phrase “DENY… DEFEND… DEPOSE,” which is also reportedly inscribed on the bullets allegedly used by Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing Thompson. Some of the posters also show the images of executives from prominent financial institutions, even though these individuals are not directly involved in the healthcare insurance sector. According to DailyMail.com, the posters carry bold red and black lettering that reads: “Wanted. Denying medical care for corporate profit. Health care CEOs should not feel safe.”
Police have noted an increase in online threats targeting executives. On Tuesday, the NYPD released a bulletin stressing the heightened danger for healthcare leaders in the wake of Thompson’s “brazen, targeted” shooting, as reported by ABC News. Along with the wanted posters, viral social media posts have shared the names and salaries of several executives in the health insurance industry, with some users continuing to express support for Thompson’s killer. The police bulletin referenced one such social media post, which listed the names and salaries of eight health insurance CEOs. It noted that certain individuals had shared the list, with some labeling it a “hitlist” and warning that CEOs should be fearful.
One social media user expressed outrage, writing, “My mom was denied chemo multiple times and suffered tremendously. They missed her cancer for two years because she was constantly denied… she will have life altering damage because of it…” This message was included in the police bulletin. Some online responses to Thompson’s murder have been so supportive of Mangione that law enforcement officials worry that extremists might adopt the accused killer as a “martyr” and continue to rally behind his cause, sources told the Post.
When Mangione was taken into custody on Monday, police discovered a manifesto in which he explained that his actions were motivated by anger toward the U.S. healthcare system and its insurance companies. In the wake of the shooting, Amazon was forced to remove products that expressed support for Mangione. Items bearing the message “Free Luigi” have appeared for sale, and merchandise such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, and other goods with the slogan “Deny Defend Depose” have been spotted on sites like Amazon, TikTok, and eBay.
{Matzav.com}