Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Corporate security companies are getting more calls after CEO is killed in Midtown
By
Charles Lane
Published Dec 5, 2024
Modified Dec 5, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images
By
Charles Lane
Published Dec 5, 2024
Modified Dec 5, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Executive protection companies say they have been getting calls for protection services after a healthcare executive was shot on a busy Midtown sidewalk Wednesday.
Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare who was killed Wednesday, did not have security protection, NYPD officials have said. CEOs can face retribution from disgruntled customers or those looking to make political statements, owners of two protection companies said.
“This woke up some people,” said Christopher Innace, the owner of Pro Protection Security, which provides high-end protection for company management.
Police said the attack on Thompson was targeted, not random.
Thompson was on his way to an investor conference when a man fired multiple shots in his back and calf, killing him. Police had not yet announced any arrests as of Thursday afternoon.
Innace said he had heard from at least one executive who admitted she probably should have had a security detail, but will finally get one after this.
Cost for protection for high-ranking CEOs is based on the threat level. Aaron Jackson, owner of Finest Executive Protection and a former NYPD officer who provided security for City Hall, said protection for someone like Thompson — who had been receiving threats before he was shot, his wife told NBC — would cost between $175,000 to $225,000 per year.
“I think everyone has been put on notice,” he said. “I have some clients that really do not want to be seen with security. It doesn't fit their image, and now, they may have the face reality that their security may have to stand a little closer.”
Still, corporations that have conferences in New York aren't cancelling events or expressing concerns about holding events since the shooting, according to Erica Maurer, the owner of EMRG Media, an event-planning company.
“They're not saying, 'I'm not doing it because this situation happened.' I think they're saying, ‘What's the story that caused that situation to happen?’” she said.
Maurer said her events always have security, tailored to the needs of the people who attend.
“As event planners, it's our responsibility to know the topics that we're speaking about, the people that are attending, the risk levels, and obviously prepare accordingly," Maurer said.
Tagged
new york city
manhattan
public safety
midtown
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .