Fire at home of Bayer executive launches multi-agency arson investigation
At least eight agencies are investigating the cause of a fire at the home of a Bayer pharmaceutical executive in New Jersey earlier this month.
The fire was reported at around 7:30 a.m. on March 4 and was “quickly extinguished by the Madison Fire Department,” according to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. A statement from the office added that the home was occupied at the time.
“The structure sustained no significant damage and there were no reported injuries,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Multiple agencies investigating the matter as arson, including the FBI, New Jersey State Police, Madison Police, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, and the NYPD. The Madison Fire Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bayer confirmed that the home belonged to one of its executives and that the company is fully cooperating with the investigation.
“The family is safe and unharmed,” the company said. “The safety and security of our employees are of utmost importance to Bayer.”
Authorities feared potential attacks on corporate executives in the immediate aftermath of the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting last year.
Brian Thompson was in New York City in December to speak at the UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference when he was shot and killed. The shooting occurred at 6:44 a.m. outside a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan that morning.
Luigi Mangione, 26, is charged with Thompson’s murder and pleaded not guilty in the case.
Following the shooting, Americans began to vent their frustration at the medical insurance industry and healthcare executives faced a wave of threats and harassment. “Wanted” posters were plastered around New York City that featured photos of at least two health insurance companies.
They were accused of “denying medical care for corporate profit.”
Rebecca Weiner, the New York Police Department’s deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, said the attack on Thompson risked a “contagion” effect.
Chris Pierson, founder of BlackCloak cybersecurity company, told NBC News on Thursday that his firm has experienced a 50% increase in requests since the end of last year.
“Where we have seen the greatest shift, since December, is in executives and boards demanding that these protective services be in place for not only them but their families as well,” Pierson said.
