UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in Midtown Manhattan Wednesday morning in a “brazen, targeted attack” as he walked towards the hotel hosting the company’s annual investor conference, according to New York police.
The shooter is on the loose. However, the assailant may have left some vital clues while fleeing, according to police officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
According to NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch, shortly before 7 a.m., a gunman “was lying in wait” outside the Hilton Midtown before opening fire on Thompson.
“Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to be waiting for his intended target,” she said in a news conference Wednesday. “I want to be clear: At this time, every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack.”
The gunman approached Thompson from behind and shot him at least once in the back and once in the right calf, according to Tisch. They transported Thompson to Mount Sinai West in critical condition, where he passed away at 7:12 a.m.
The motive for the shooting is unknown, and police have not announced one. However, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN that UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, was aware of serious threats against its top executives.
According to the source, none of the threats mentioned Thompson’s name. Thompson’s widow, Paulette, told NBC News that “there had been some threats” against her husband.
“Basically, I’m not sure. Could there have been insufficient coverage? “I’m uncertain about the specifics,” she remarked. “I just know that he mentioned that some people had been threatening him,” she said.
Paulette Thompson declined to speak to CNN about the threats she described to NBC.
“The senseless killing of our beloved Brian has left us shattered,” she told CNN on Wednesday. “Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, and talented man who lived life to the fullest and impacted so many people. Most importantly, we will deeply miss the incredibly loving father Brian was to our two sons.
According to a source familiar with the company’s security, an in-house security team from UnitedHealth Group supported the leadership team at the New York conference. Thompson’s security detail was not present when the early morning shooting occurred.
Video shows shooting unfold
Thompson was on his way to the Hilton for the investor conference when he was shot, according to police.
Thompson, who was visiting from Minnesota, was shot with a gun that appeared to be equipped with a silencer, according to a law enforcement official and firearm experts.
Police described the shooting, which was captured on a surveillance video obtained by CNN. According to officials, the assailant stepped from behind a car onto the sidewalk, ignored other pedestrians and shot the victim from behind.
The shooter approached and continued to shoot until the gun apparently malfunctioned. The suspect cleared the jam and fired again before fleeing down an alley.
“It appears that he is proficient in the use of firearms, as he was able to clear the malfunctions fairly quickly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said at the news conference.
Firearms experts who reviewed the video believe the gun malfunctioned with each shot, failing to load a new round into the firing chamber.
The video captures the gunman clearing the jam each time before firing again. According to the experts, the assailant reacts in the same way that someone with law enforcement or military firearms training would.
According to police, the suspect fled on foot before riding an e-bike.
According to CNN, the suspect crossed the street and began running, possibly dropping a phone and a bottle of water in the alley.
A video from a nearby Starbucks shows the assailant purchasing a bottle of water and two energy bars minutes before the shooting, according to a senior police official.
If police technicians are able to unlock the phone, fingerprints, DNA, and other clues to the suspect’s identity may be revealed.
Even if it is a “burner phone,” it may reveal information about communications and searches prior to the shooting. The water bottle may also contain DNA evidence, according to investigators.
Police say the suspect was last seen riding a bike into Central Park just minutes after the shooting. Investigators have been searching the area. According to CNN, police have not found either the bike or the gun used in the shooting.
Investigators are investigating whether the bike was prepositioned because they believe the suspect took the tube from the Upper West Side to Midtown, according to law enforcement officials briefed on the case.
Police have video of the suspect on the Upper West Side carrying what appears to be an electric bicycle battery, according to sources.
The shooting happened at West 53rd Street and 6th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, just blocks from Rockefeller Center where the annual Christmas tree lighting event will be held Wednesday night.
NYPD Crime Stoppers has announced a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
The manager of a parking garage across the street from the hotel told CNN he was inside his office at the time of the shooting and did not hear gunshots.
Thompson was ‘truly extraordinary person,’ parent company CEO says
Thompson was appointed chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021. UnitedHealthcare is a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, America’s largest insurance company and one of the country’s largest companies overall.
According to the annual Fortune 500 list, UnitedHealth Group is the fourth-largest company in America in terms of revenue.
UnitedHealth Group abruptly cancelled its scheduled conference Wednesday morning, citing “a very serious medical situation with one of our team members.”
Brian Thompson, UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, was fatally shot in Manhattan on Wednesday.
By late morning, flags at United Healthcare’s headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota, had been lowered to half staff.
Later, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty addressed the shooting in a one-minute video sent to employees. “There are no words to describe how so many of us are feeling right now,” he said in a CNN-exclusive video.
“Brian was a truly extraordinary person who impacted the lives of many people within our organisation and beyond. It is a terrible tragedy, and I am sure we are in shock and disbelief.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare,” according to a company statement. “Brian was a valued colleague and friend to everyone who worked with him.
We are working closely with the New York Police Department and would appreciate your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and everyone who knew him.
Minnesota governor calls death a terrible loss
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has directed state police to provide NYPD “with any necessary assistance with the investigation to ensure the safety of all New Yorkers.”
Tim Walz, Minnesota’s governor and former vice presidential candidate, described Thompson’s death as “a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota.”
“This is an appalling and shocking act of violence. “My thoughts are with Brian Thompson’s family and loved ones, as well as all of those who work at United Healthcare in Minnesota,” said US Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota in a post on Wednesday morning.
“I’m horrified by the assassination of my constituent, Brian Thompson, this morning in NYC and have his family in my prayers,” wrote US Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota’s 3rd District.
