"They’re gangsters dude" — Comedian Bill Burr cannot understand why Brian Thompson's murder received such a vast news coverage

Comedian Bill Burr recently commented on the death of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot dead on December 4, 2024, outside the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan. Since then, there has been widespread media coverage about updates on the killer and developments in the investigation.

In the latest episode of his Anything Better? podcast with comedian Paul Virzi, Bill Burr commented on the killer's motive behind shooting Brian Thompson and said:

"It's like there's your motive. They're gangsters, dude. And then one of them gets whacked or something, they're like, I was good, he was such a good guy. It's a dirty game."

Before talking about the motive, Bill Burr said that he was reading an article about Thompson which made him think that he was a "great guy" who had a wife and kids.

However, his perspective changed when he found out that Thompson and the other guys he's working for are "getting sued for $121 million for dumping a stock, and not letting the other people know."

The lawsuit Bill Burr was referring to was filed by the City of Hollywood Firefighters' Pension Fund, wherein the DOJ was investigating Thompson and UnitedHealthcare since October 2023.

The lawsuit alleges that UnitedHealth's insiders sold over $120 million of their personally held shares without disclosing material information to the public or other investors.

Additionally, Bill Burr questioned why Brian Thompson's death was getting so much media coverage. He said that someone gets "gunned down in New York every f*cking day" and suddenly experts are weighing in because it's Thompson's case.

The comedian added that it was because of Thompson's status that his death was perceived a certain way, citing that "we can’t have white guys in suits getting whacked.”

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Luigi Mangione identified as person of interest in Brian Thompson's death

According to a report by The Independent dated December 10, 2024, police have identified Luigi Mangione as a person of interest in the "brazen targeted murder" of Brian Thompson, as shared by NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch at a press conference.

Mangione was spotted outside a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, by a patron who alerted the police by recognizing him from the various images the NYPD circulated since Thompson's shooting.

While Mangione was cooperating with the police initially, he stopped talking to the investigators later.

The person of interest was arrested on the evening of December 9, 2024, on gun charges and is being held without bond, with officials stating that charges in connection to Thompson's killing will be filed soon.

As per the publication's report, Luigi Mangione, a prep school valedictorian, was carrying a ghost gun which the police believe was used to shoot Brian Thompson.

Additionally, a handwritten three-page manifesto seemingly calling out the healthcare system and multiple fraudulent IDs were found in Mangione's possession.

The description of Mangione's arrest mentions that when officers asked him if he had been in New York recently, he went quiet and began shaking.

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While the police have not given an official motive behind Thompson's killing yet, New York police commissioner Jessica Tisch mentioned in a press conference on December 4, 2024, that Brian Thompson's death was a pre-planned, deliberate, targeted attack.