Gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare chief ‘left message on ammunition’

The words on the ammunition may have been a reference to strategies insurance companies use to try to avoid paying claims

A New York police officer stands on 54th Street outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan where Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot Picture: Stefan Jeremiah/AP

The masked gunman who stalked and killed the leader of one of the largest US health insurance companies on a Manhattan sidewalk used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny”, “defend” and “depose”, a law enforcement official said on Thursday.

The official was not authorised to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.