The shocking murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan on Wednesday has sparked a flurry of online sleuthing. Police quickly described the killing as targeted and began examining surveillance footage, discarded items for DNA, and other evidence. By Thursday, they sought public help, releasing a clear image of the suspect’s face. Social media platforms like Bluesky, Reddit, and X were flooded with amateur detectives analyzing the evidence. One Reddit user speculated that the weapon used may have had a suppressor, which is difficult to acquire in New York.
Such crowd-sourced investigations can sometimes be helpful, as seen when online sleuths helped identify Capitol rioters in 2021. However, they can also go wrong. After the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Reddit users falsely accused innocent individuals, a theory later amplified by media outlets.
Reddit posts in the MorbidReality subreddit, which has over 1 million members, focused on the killer’s possible weapon, speculating it could be a Station 6 pistol or a B&T VP9. Others analyzed the backpack seen in the footage, identifying it as a “Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L, Camera Bag.” Some users also investigated Citi Bike for clues, speculating the killer used one to flee, though police later confirmed he likely used an unmarked e-bike.
Amid speculation about the killer’s motivation, some users noted the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” carved into shell casings, leading to theories about ties to an insurance industry book critical of claims practices. Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer suggested the killer had inside knowledge of Thompson’s schedule.
Also read: Phone Companies Deny Pentagon Access to Telecom Security Data
