UnitedHealthcare CEO Killed In NYC Was From Iowa

The Midwest has a tie to a sad national event this week.

If you saw the news on Wednesday, you've likely seen that the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (50) was shot and killed in New York City. It happened outside of the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. It was caught clear as day on surveillance cameras.

The investigation is still ongoing. Police believe it was a premediated attack and the hunt is on to find the shooter.

Iowa Ties

According to the Des Moines Register, Brian Thompson grew up in Jewell, Iowa (north of Ames, in Hamilton County). His wife Paulette (who goes by Pauley) grew up in Iowa too (Webster City and later, Des Moines).

Brian is remembered by his teachers at South Hamilton High School in Jewell as an "outstanding student". He went to the University of Iowa, where he majored in Accounting.

After graduating, he moved to Minneapolis to work for accounting firm PwC, and later joined UnitedHealthcare in 2004. He was made CEO in 2021.

His family in Iowa and business industry leaders remember him as a "loving" and "generous" person. Mike Tuffin, president and CEO of commercial health insurance trade group AHIP told the outlet:

He was a devoted father, a good friend to many and a refreshingly candid colleague and leader.

Kim Keck, the chief executive of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, told The New York Times: 

I knew him to be a visionary leader who developed innovative ideas to take on some of the nation’s greatest challenges. His death is a great loss for our country and for the health care industry.

Meanwhile, the identity of the shooter and their motive are both unknown. Police found the words "deny", "depend", and "depose" written on shell casings that were found at the scene.