UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in what police called a “brazen targeted attack” in Manhattan early Wednesday.
A massive manhunt is underway for the unidentified shooter, who fled the scene on a bike. Police searched a hostel in the Upper West Side where they believe the suspect was staying, CNN reported Thursday morning.
Here’s everything we know so far about the fatal attack on the 50-year-old insurance CEO:
Thompson shot in ‘premeditated attack’
The unidentified shooter had been hiding behind a car outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan for about five minutes when Thompson exited, police said. The suspect was spotted at a nearby Starbucks on West 56th Street and 6th Avenue shortly before the shooting.
The shooter, who was wearing a mask, approached Thompson from behind and shot him in the right calf and back at 6:46 a.m. Video of the incident shows the shooter calmly walking up behind Thompson before shooting him multiple times, then calmly crossing the street. The footage also showed a bystander who witnessed the shooting and ran away as the suspect fired at Thompson.
Thompson was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
“The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears that the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again,” New York Police Department’s Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters.
Police described the shooter as a white man wearing a black hoodie and black pants with a gray backpack. It’s believed the suspect used a gun with a silencer. A food cart vendor near the scene of the shooting told NBC News that he did not hear any gunshots.
The shooter fled the scene through an alleyway on an e-bike. Police told reporters e-bikes are equipped with GPS devices. He fled via Sixth Avenue to Central Park, where he was last seen.
The shooting was a “premeditated, preplanned targeted attack,” police said late Wednesday morning. Thompson appeared unaware he was in danger and had no security detail near him, Kenny told reporters.
UnitedHealth Group, which owns the insurance company, was holding its annual Investor Conference Wednesday. They have since canceled the event. Thompson was scheduled to speak there at 8 a.m.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the company said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”
The New York Police Department released photos of the suspect without a mask Thursday morning.
Police do not believe the shooter is a professional.
Expert analysts who reviewed the footage told The Wall Street Journal that the suspect handled the gun with skill. Kenny also acknowledged the shooter appeared to have experience with guns.
“It does seem he’s proficient in the use of firearms,” the chief of detectives said.
New clues emerge as manhunt heads into third day
As of Friday morning, new clues have emerged as police continue to piece together information regarding the assailants’ whereabouts before the CEO was fatally shot.
The armed suspect is reported to have traveled via Greyhound bus to New York 10 days before the horror shooting unfolded, according to law enforcement sources who spoke to CNN.
Sources say he arrived in New York City on November 24 after jumping on a bus departing from Atlanta but officials have not been able to pinpoint exactly where he boarded – stating it could have been in Atlanta or elsewhere.
On the day he arrived in New York City, he was captured on CCTV surveillance stepping off the bus at around 9 p.m. ET and spotted walking through the Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, said law enforcement sources.
He then checked into an Upper West Side hostel, left on November 29, and then used a fake New Jersey driver’s license to check back in on November 30.
While in the hostel, he is reported to have slept in a multi-person room with two other males and wore a mask for the majority of his stay, as per CNN.
His whereabouts from 30 November to Wednesday morning are still unclear but he is believed to have stayed at the hostel.
Both Greyhound and the hostel’s parent company, Hostelling International USA, told ABC News in a statement that they are “fully cooperating with the NYPD” but cannot comment further due to the active investigation.
Authorities found three live 9mm rounds and three discharged 9mm shell casings, as well as a cell phone, at the scene of the shooting. They also recovered a candy wrapper and water bottle believed to belong to the suspect, according to ABC News.
Investigators have been able to lift one smudged fingerprint from the bottle, CNN reports.
The bullet casings police found at the scene had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” written on them, ABC News reports. The words are similar to a popular phrase in the insurance industry: “Deny, delay, defend.”
A 2020 book by Jay Feinman about the insurance industry bears a similar title: Delay Deny Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It. The book describes itself as an “expose of insurance injustice and a plan for consumers and lawmakers to fight back.”
Feinman did not comment when contacted by The Independent.
Police have searched the HI New York City Hostel in the Upper West Side where the shooter was believed to be staying in a multi-person room with two other men, CNN reports. Investigators believe the suspect checked into the hostel using a fake New Jersey ID, the New York Post reports, citing law enforcement sources.
“We are fully cooperating with the N.Y.P.D. and, as this is an active investigation, cannot comment at this time,” Danielle Norris, a spokeswoman for the hostel’s parent company Hostelling International USA, said in a statement.
The New York Police Department is also urging residents to continue sending in tips. Officers searched a Long Island Railroad train on Thursday — and while it didn’t turn up any evidence, they emphasized the importance of information from the public.
“The train stopped. They searched the train and nothing was found,” a spokesperson for the police department said. “We are getting Crime Stoppers tips…It’s helping. We are following up on every single tip that’s come in.”
Wife reveals Thompson received threats as police search for motive
Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News her husband received threats prior to Wednesday’s shooting.
“There had been some threats,” she told the outlet. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of [health insurance] coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
She added: “I can’t really give a thoughtful response right now. I just found this out and I’m trying to console my children.”
Police informed her Wednesday morning that the shooting was likely a planned attack.
“The motive for this murder is currently unknown, but based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear the victim was specifically targeted,” Kenny told reporters. “But at this point, we do not know why.”
UnitedHealth Group was aware of concerning threats against its executives ahead of Wednesday’s shooting, CNN reports, citing sources with knowledge of the investigation.
The New York Police Department Crime Stoppers are offering a $10,000 reward for information.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said police are still finding more “pieces to the puzzle” as of Thursday.
“We feel that we’re moving at a steady pace, and we’re going to have someone apprehended,” Adams said.
Family, leaders mourn CEO
Thompson’s family members are in mourning as they process the news.
Thompson’s sister Elena Reveiz told The New York Times that her brother was a “good person, and I am so sad.”
Thompson’s brother Mark previously told The Independent he was not yet ready to comment on the situation.
The family put out a joint statement on Thursday honoring Thompson.
“Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives,” Thompson’s family said in a statement to Minnesota news outlet KARE. “We appreciate your condolences and request complete privacy as our family moves through this difficult time,” the statement continued.
Former vice presidential candidate and current Minnesota governor Tim Walz posted his condolences on social media.
“This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” Walz wrote. “Minnesota is sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she has been briefed on the situation and also offered her condolences to Thompson’s family.
“Our hearts are with the family and loved ones of Mr. Thompson, and we are committed to ensuring the perpetrator is brought to justice,” Hochul said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams also assured residents the shooting did not appear to be a random act of violence.
“We want to be clear to New Yorkers that this does not appear to be a random act of violence,” Adams said on Wednesday.
Thompson is a father of two. Before taking the CEO job in 2021, he worked as the company’s head of government programs. As CEO, Thompson worked out of UnitedHealthcare’s offices in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Fake bomb threats were made against two homes, one owned by Thompson and the other owned by his wife, shortly after he was murdered on Wednesday.
The two homes, which are less than a mile apart in Maple Grove, Minnesota, were targeted on Wednesday evening, The Minnesota Star-Tribune reports. The threat was sent via e-mail to multiple people who then notified police. Thompson and his wife had been living in separate homes in Maple Grove for years, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The threats were not credible and considered an instance of “swatting,” police said.
“No devices or suspicious items were located during the investigation,” a Maple Grove police spokesperson said in a statement. ”The case is considered an active investigation, while the incident appears to be a hoax.”
Thompson kept a low profile with little public name recognition, the Associated Press reported.
Thompson was also named named in a lawsuit filed by a Florida pension fund earlier this year accusing UnitedHealth of hiding an antitrust investigation by the Justice Department from shareholders while insiders sold stock, according to the Journal. Thompson had not answered the claims in court before Wednesday’s shooting.
Under his leadership, UnitedHealthcare provided coverage to more than 49 million people, making it the largest insurance company in the US. The network includes 1.3 million physicians and care professionals across nearly 7,000 facilities.
Under Thompson, the company made $74 billion in revenue in the most recent quarter, earning the title of the largest subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group. Thompson made $10.2 million annually and was one of the company’s highest-paid employees.
Social media was peppered with complaints about health insurance following the shooting. One commenter responded: “Dude was someone’s father, son, brother, husband. Chill with the … tweets.”
