- UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot outside a Manhattan hotel, a source told BI.
- Thompson, 50, was killed in an apparent targeted attack, the law enforcement source said.
- The CEO worked at the healthcare giant for 20 years.
The CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was fatally shot outside Manhattan’s New York Hilton Midtown hotel in an apparent targeted attack early Wednesday morning, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the matter told Business Insider.
The New York Police Department did not immediately identify Thompson as the victim of the shooting, saying it hadn’t yet notified his family, but a department spokeswoman told BI that a 50-year-old man was shot in the chest and leg outside 1335 6th Avenue at 6:46 a.m.
When police arrived at the scene, the man was unconscious and unresponsive, the spokeswoman said. Emergency responders rushed him to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The law enforcement source, who is not authorized to speak to the press, told BI the shooting was captured on surveillance footage. It shows a hooded gunman dressed in black with a gray backpack opening fire on Thompson from behind from about a 20-foot distance as the CEO walked in the direction of the hotel.
The suspect fired multiple shots from a gun equipped with a silencer as the shooter got closer to Thompson before running off, the source told BI.
“He definitely knew where he was going to be,” the source said of the shooter.
No arrests have been made, police said.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare,” a statement from UnitedHealth Group said. “Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”
The company canceled its “investor day” conference in Manhattan shortly after reports of the shooting broke.
Thompson, 50, had spent 20 years at the healthcare giant, and served as CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the health benefits unit, since April 2021.
The shooting rang out blocks from Midtown holiday tourism landmarks, including Radio City Music Hall and the Rockefeller Center skating rink.
By late morning, six evidence cups remained on the taped-off section of the sidewalk where the shooting happened.
“That’s covering the shell casings,” an officer at the scene told BI, declining to give their name because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
As CEO, Thompson’s goal was to “drive continued growth across the global, employer, individual, specialty, and government benefits business while continuing the company’s focus on ensuring access to high-quality, affordable health care,” the company said in 2021, when it announced his new role.
Thompson had previously served as CEO of the group’s government programs, running its programs for Medicare and Medicaid recipients.
Public records show Thomas lived in Minnesota where UnitedHealth Group and UnitedHealthcare are based.
The police department in his hometown of Maple Grove, MN, told BI it wasn’t notified of any threats he may have received. Theresa Keehn, Maple Grove police administrator, said the department has no record of calls for service to his house.
In a statement on the social media site X, Minnesota governor and former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz said the shooting death was “horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota.”
“Minnesota is sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team,” Walz said.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
