Luigi Mangione, the man charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was not a customer of the health insurer, a company spokesperson reveals as a woman is arrested over a copycat phone call.
Ivy League-educated Mr Mangione, 26, was charged with murder after allegedly shooting Mr Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel before sparking a five-day manhunt.
Mr Mangione suffered from chronic back pain that affected his daily life, according to friends and social media posts, though it is unclear whether his personal health played a role in the alleged shooting.
On Friday, an UnitedHealthcare spokesperson said it does not have prior records for either Mr Mangione or his mother.
Previous reports had stated Mr Mangione's prior employer had offered UnitedHealthcare insurance.
Andrew Witty, the executive of UnitedHealth Group which is the parent company of UnitedHealthCare, also made the company's first public comment since Mr Thompson's death, conceding the US healthcare system is "flawed".
In a New York Times opinion piece, Mr Witty said he understood public frustrations but mourned Mr Thompson's killing and decried the "vitriol that has been directed at our colleagues who have been barraged by threats."
"While the health system is not perfect, every corner of it is filled with people who try to do their best for those they serve," Mr Witty wrote.
"Brian was one of those people."
Shares of UnitedHealth alone have fallen nearly 15 per cent since the attack.
The New York Times also reported that an internal New York City police report analysing Mr Mangione's writings concluded that he viewed the killing as a justified response to what he believed to be corruption in the healthcare industry.
In some circles, Mr Mangione has been celebrated and more than a thousand donations have poured into an online fundraiser for his legal defense.
Public officials and healthcare executives have been swift to push back against social media's glorification of the accused killer.
'You people are next': Woman arrested over copycat call
Multiple US outlets have reported that a Florida woman was arrested after she allegedly ended a phone call with a representative from her insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield by saying the words "Delay, deny, depose. You people are next."
The words "deny," "defend" and "depose" were carved into shell casings found at Mr Thompson's murder scene.
The phrases evoke the title of a book critical of the insurance industry published in 2010 titled Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.
Viral interview as prisoners decry Mr Mangione's arrest
An unconventional news interview, regarding Mr Mangione's arrest has also gone viral, as prisoners yell out to reporters "Free Luigi".
US cable network News Nation was recording an update on Mr Mangione's condition outside the prison in Huntington, Pennslyvania when the broadcast captured the alleged gunman's cellmates calling out to reporters.
Journalist Alex Caprariello filmed the inmates yelling "Luigi's conditions suck" and "Free Luigi!".
Journalist Ashleigh Banfield decided to pose a few questions to the prisoners who were watching, including whether Mr Mangione should waive the extradition process or stay in the Pennsylvanian prison.
"No," a majority yelled back, to the option to stay put.
"This is the strangest interview I've ever conducted," Banfield remarked.
Inmates could be also be seen flicking their cell lights on and off for the camera.
Reuters/ABC
