The Family of Slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Was Allegedly Targeted by a Stalker

Less than a week after he was fatally shot on the streets of Midtown Manhattan, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was laid to rest. Many of his friends and colleagues had lovely things to say about Thompson, whose death became political fodder regarding the healthcare industry in America. "A lot of people are judging him, not knowing him at all," a childhood friend of Thompson's told The New York Times.

Within the praise of Thompson as an employee and friend, there were reminders of why he was allegedly targeted by 26-year-old Luigi Mangione. Thompson's company was responsible for a 12 percent surge in denial rates of post-acute care for people on private Medicare Advantage plans. In early 2024, he was hit with a lawsuit accusing him of insider trading and fraud. Could this have contributed to the stalker allegedly obsessed with Thompson's family? Here's what we know.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by Court TV, 40-year-old Shane Daley is accused of calling Thompson's family multiple times following his death. During these calls, Daley reportedly said that Thompson deserved to die and that this death was justified. He also allegedly said Thompson isn't the only person who should die.

Daley has been formally charged with cyberstalking and was arrested Aug. 13, 2025, per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of New York. The phone calls were allegedly made between Dec. 4 and 7, 2024, and began mere hours after Thompson was killed. Beyond expressing satisfaction over Thompson's death, Daley allegedly said in a series of voicemails that Thompson's wife and children should meet the same fate.

Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III had harsh words for Daley, who he alleged "gleefully welcomed this tragedy and did all that he could to increase the Thompson family’s pain and suffering." Sarcone went on to say that his office and its partners will do all they can to hold Daley accountable for this "vicious and outrageous conduct."

Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, described the calls Daley allegedly made to Thompson's family as "more than callous and cold-hearted harassment – they were threatening and terrified a family already suffering following the violent death of their loved one." Raia also promised to "bring to justice any individual attempting to stalk and harass innocent Americans."

If convicted, Daley could spend up to five years in prison and pay a fine of no more than $250,000. "This Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will pursue and prosecute those who seek to intimidate victims and their families," said Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

The family has stayed mostly silent apart from a statement calling Brian a "loving husband, son, brother, and friend," as well as a devoted father to his two sons, per The Times.