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Private security firms have been inundated with calls since the cold-blooded murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... but the high-profile case won't necessarily change how companies protect execs long-term, TMZ is told.

In the days since Thompson was shot dead on the streets of NYC ... multiple private security firms have been flooded with service inquiries and price quotes.

Ian Dahlberg, owner of Dahlcore Security Guard Services, tells TMZ ... there has been a noticeable uptick in calls -- from executes looking for private security to film studios wanting to beef up guards on the lot.

A pilot in Brazil is being applauded for his calm response to a vulture crashing through the windshield of his plane ... skillfully touching down on the ground, instead of letting the situation turn into a total cock-up.

Check it out ... the pilot calmly and coolly begins his descent into the Brazilian city of Eirunepe ... even though the carcass of a dead bird dangles in his face.

The bird, which appears to be a local vulture, is clearly deceased -- as it remains lifeless and bloody while hanging from the glass shards of the shattered windshield as wind gushes through.

The suspect who killed United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson may have disappeared into Central Park after the shooting Wednesday morning in a premeditated attempt to evade cameras ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... The suspect rode an e-bike on Center Drive into Central Park after the shooting seemingly with the knowledge the multi-block blackout area would provide cover as he disposed of evidence.

We're told there are no surveillance cameras INSIDE the park, but there are some at the entrances and exits of the famous Manhattan oasis. This may surprise many people in a city known for its multitude of cameras on streets and businesses everywhere.

A sultry Colombian assassin, known as "The Doll" and tagged as a "dangerous hitwoman," has been arrested for a string of gangland hits -- including the murder of her ex-lover.

Karen Julieth Ojeda Rodriguez, AKA "The Doll," was busted and taken into custody for her alleged role in a series of high-profile murders in Barrancabermeja, which were said to have been ordered by the Los de la M gang, according to local reports from Libertad Digital.

The femme fatale's takedown comes after the July 23 ambush-style murder of her ex-BF, Deyvy Jesus. Cops claim she lured him in with a fake peace offering, claiming they’d settle a money dispute.

The main suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson may have possibly stayed in a hostel, but it looks like he had some money ... 'cause he had an expensive backpack with him.

The backpack appears to be an Everyday Backpack from Peak Designs ... a bag meant for serious photographers but designed for casual use as well.

According to reports, it's not a new model of the backpack ... with some saying there's a good chance the bag was purchased between 2016 and 2019.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is walking back a controversial policy decision regarding coverage for anesthesia in the wake of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder.

In a statement released Thursday, the company defended its decision to reverse the policy as a response to "significant widespread misinformation" ... though, it was notably timed amid the hunt for Thompson's shooter.

ABCBS shared the now-controversial policy was never meant "to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services" ... rather, the "proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines."

Taylor Lorenz -- a controversial journalist formerly of the Washington Post -- is clarifying some of her comments about the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... and she says his brutal killing isn't the real tragedy here.

Taylor joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked her what she meant by two social media posts that have gotten a lot of attention in the wake of Thompson's killing ... including one that lots of folks interpreted as her calling for more violence against healthcare executives.

She says she wasn't calling for murder when she shared a photo of the Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Kim Keck above a post about BCBS announcing it wouldn't cover anesthesia for the entirety of some surgeries.

The wife of slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson says he had received threats before his shocking assassination on the streets of NYC.

In a phone conversation with NBC News read out by the anchor ... Paulette Thompson said, "There had been some threats basically. I don't know. A lack of coverage? I don't know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ there’s no official record of any threats being reported by Brian or any other UnitedHealthcare executives.

The gunman who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on the bustling streets of NYC carved a suspected message into the shell casings of the bullets he used to execute the executive -- and it might offer a clue into why he did it, TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... three 9MM shell casings cops recovered from the scene outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan had the words “deny,” “depose” and “defend” scrawled on them.

Our sources say two of the words appear in the title of a 2010 book, "Delay, Deny, Defend," which slams the health insurance sector -- and, as we now know, Thompson was one of the industry's bigwigs.

The masked assassin who took out UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was caught on camera casually chatting on the phone just minutes before pulling the trigger, new video shows.

Surveillance footage shows a man decked out in the same dark outfit -- hat, ski mask, and gray backpack -- holding a phone to his ear as he strolled east on 54th Street toward the Hilton hotel on Sixth Avenue around 6:30 AM Wednesday -- just 15 minutes before the fatal shooting.

The NYPD said the killer showed up about 5 minutes before the attack, lying in wait for his target. When the moment came, he used a gun with a silencer to fire the shots that killed Thompson.

Taylor Lorenz -- a controversial journalist formerly of the Washington Post -- shared a photo of the Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO on the same day UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was murdered.

Here's the deal ... Lorenz has posted multiple times to Bluesky and X in the aftermath of a gunman shooting and killing Thompson on a New York City street early Wednesday morning -- starting when Blue Cross Blue Shield announced it wouldn't cover anesthesia for the entirety of some surgeries.

TL shared the story on social media ... along with a picture of Kim A. Keck -- BCBS' CEO since 2021.

A man’s stepping forward with a jaw-dropping claim -- he says he may have figured out the whereabouts of the assassin who shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... all thanks to Citi Bike's tracking data.

A data scientist named Riley, who goes by @rtwlz on X, dropped a bombshell post, revealing how he's been scraping Citi Bike data every minute ... and he could see exactly where individual bikes go.

And here's the kicker -- he says the only northbound Citi Bike to leave within 10 minutes of the shooting near the Hilton hotel where Thompson was entering, left at 6:44 AM and headed straight to a location at Madison Ave & 82nd St at 6:52 AM.

Hannah Kobayashi's aunt says the family is unsure what exactly is happening with her, even though police say she crossed the border into Mexico.

Larie Pidgeon joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and she told us law enforcement is not showing them footage of Hannah leaving the United States.

Cops say Hannah was alone and she was traveling with her luggage when she crossed the border and there's been no evidence of human trafficking or any criminal activity ... but Larie's not ready to rule any of that out.

The woman who tried to calm the little girl throwing food inside a Walmart in a viral video says the kid was scared because she was separated from her family.

Amber Gregory is the woman in the black outfit who shows up at the scene and attempts to soothe the little girl as she throws and stomps on packages of food inside the store.

Lots of folks thought she was the kid's mom, but Amber says she was just trying to help the little girl ... because she reminded her of her own child.

NYPD has clear footage of the killer who opened fire on UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan ... but only from behind the suspect.

Cops released the surveillance images captured Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel on 6th Ave and 54th Street ... and it shows 50-year-old Thompson strolling into the hotel by himself around 6:45 AM. The shooter walks up behind him, draws a handgun and starts shooting from less than 10 feet away.

It appears the suspect fired his weapon, which was fitted with a silencer, at least 3 times ... before fleeing into an alleyway on the other side of the street. Police say he made his getaway on a bicycle, which was captured on a different surveillance camera, and rode into Central Park ... just a few blocks away.

Hannah Kobayashi's aunt is grateful cops spotted the missing photographer crossing the border into Mexico, but says she still believes her niece is in danger, and she's refusing to call off the search.

Larie Pidgeon tells TMZ ... she knows LAPD detectives "worked tirelessly, and their efforts have brought us to this new piece of the puzzle. But I also want to be clear -- this search is not over. Knowing Hannah crossed the border does not provide the answers I need, nor does it ease the heartbreak I feel."

Larie's reacting to an image LAPD's Missing Persons Unit says it has of Hannah willfully crossing the border into Mexico on Nov. 12. Hannah's family reported her missing about 2 weeks ago, after she missed a scheduled flight to NYC from LAX on Nov. 8, the last day she was captured on camera.