A message left at the scene of the fatal shooting of a health insurance executive — “deny,” “defend” and “depose” — brings to mind a phrase often used to describe insurers’ tactics to avoid paying claims.

The three words were written on the ammunition a masked gunman used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday (Dec. 5) on condition of anonymity.

The three words are similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend” – the way some lawyers describe how insurers deny benefits and payments, and the title of a 2010 book that was highly critical of the industry.

While police have not officially commented on the wording or any connection between them and the common expression, they released a new surveillance camera image Thursday of the man who is believed to have shot Thompson, 50, at close range outside a Manhattan hotel.

The latest image, in which the suspect’s face is uncovered and he is smiling or laughing, suggested progress in the manhunt for the man, who fled on foot before getting on an electric bike and riding into Central Park.

Based on surveillance video and evidence from the crime scene, investigators believe the shooter had at least some firearms training and experience with firearms and that the weapon was equipped with a silencer, one of the law enforcement officials told the AP.

According to CNN, police also searched a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side where the suspect is believed to have been staying.

A motive has not yet been publicly identified, but Thompson appears to have been targeted, according to investigators.

Thompson’s shooting and the messages found on the ammunition have since sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting Americans’ increasing frustration with the cost and complexity of medical care.

What does the sentence mean?

“Delay, deny, defend” has become something of a rallying cry for insurance critics. The conditions relate to insurers delaying payment of claims, denying claims and defending their claims.

The term has been used to describe many types of insurers – auto, property and health insurers.

“The longer they can delay and deny the claim, the longer they can keep their money and not pay it out,” said Lea Keller, managing partner at Lewis and Keller, a personal injury law firm based in North Carolina.

“Delay, Deny, Defend” is also the title of a 2010 book by Jay Feinman about how insurers handle claims.

“All insurance companies have an incentive to bully their customers in order to increase their profits,” reads an excerpt on the book’s website.