The New York Police Department is investigating a number of “Wanted” posters featuring senior executives that have been displayed in parts of Manhattan.
The posters included images of insurance leaders including UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson, who was murdered last Wednesday, as well as executives from financial firms. The posters of Thompson were crossed out with a red X.
It’s the latest development among a string of incidents causing anxiety among business leaders in the wake of the fatal shooting of Thompson. In addition to the posters, police are aware of a surge in online threats against executives, according to an NYPD spokesman.
Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with Thompson’s murder, was found with a manifesto condemning the high profits of the healthcare industry, saying “these parasites simply had it coming”.
The NYPD has said it was on alert for “a risk that a wide range of extremists may view Mangione as a martyr and an example to follow”, according to a law enforcement document reviewed by Bloomberg.
“Rhetoric may signal an elevated threat facing executives in the near-term.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts made clear that “violence is never the answer”. But the Democrat, an outspoken critic of big business, also tried to explain why Mangione has received so much support online in an interview with the Huffington Post.
“The visceral response from people across the country who feel cheated, ripped off, and threatened by the vile practices of their insurance companies should be a warning to everyone in the healthcare system,” Warren said.
The posters included images of insurance leaders including UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson, who was murdered last Wednesday, as well as executives from financial firms. The posters of Thompson were crossed out with a red X.
It’s the latest development among a string of incidents causing anxiety among business leaders in the wake of the fatal shooting of Thompson. In addition to the posters, police are aware of a surge in online threats against executives, according to an NYPD spokesman.
Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with Thompson’s murder, was found with a manifesto condemning the high profits of the healthcare industry, saying “these parasites simply had it coming”.
The NYPD has said it was on alert for “a risk that a wide range of extremists may view Mangione as a martyr and an example to follow”, according to a law enforcement document reviewed by Bloomberg.
“Rhetoric may signal an elevated threat facing executives in the near-term.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts made clear that “violence is never the answer”. But the Democrat, an outspoken critic of big business, also tried to explain why Mangione has received so much support online in an interview with the Huffington Post.
“The visceral response from people across the country who feel cheated, ripped off, and threatened by the vile practices of their insurance companies should be a warning to everyone in the healthcare system,” Warren said.
