The scene in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 near the location where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot.
© Eduardo Cuevas / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images + © Carolyn Brown / USA TODAY NETWORK
(New York, NY) – Since the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4, reaction has been mixed. Certainly, many have decried the cold-blooded killing as a horrific example of violence — one that claimed the life of a husband and father. But others — including a relatively loud group on social media — have celebrated the killing, or suggested its justified, because of unhappiness with the healthcare industry as a whole.
Thompson, who lived in Minnesota with his family but was in New York City for UnitedHealthcare’s investor conference, was shot dead at the age of 50. Many have described him as a good guy who rose the ranks of UnitedHealthcare — the nation’s largest health insurance company. The firm provides health insurance coverage for around 29 million Americans. Meanwhile, a YouGov poll from August of this year found a majority of respondents hold a negative view of the US healthcare system as a whole.
So, given the with that reality as a backdrop, some say its understandable that emotions are mixed following Thompson’s murder. Others, as stated, find that position craven, misguided, and reprehensible. But a recent poll shows there are a notable percentage of younger Americans who find the CEO’s killing “acceptable.” In fact, 24% of respondents aged 18 to 29 say the execution-style killing is “somewhat acceptable. The Emerson College survey also found 17% consider it “totally acceptable.” Taken together, that means 4 in 10 Americans within that younger age group demographic find the murder OK.
In addition to those alarming findings, donations continue to pour in for the alleged murderer’s legal defense fund. And GoFundMe has removed some campaigns aimed at raising funds, sighting the website’s policy on defendants accused of violent crimes. Merchandise has popped up with the alleged killer’s name and likeness, as well.
