Police said Wednesday morning’s shooting outside the New York Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan appeared to have been a “premeditated, preplanned targeted attack” that killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO.
The gunman came up behind Brian Thompson, 50, who was en route to speak at UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference, and “fired several rounds,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated during a press conference.
He was hit at least once in the right calf and at least once in the back, Tisch said, adding that the suspect had been “lying in wait for several minutes.”
“Many people passed the suspect but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” she stated.
According to Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, the suspect shot Thompson in the back after arriving at the site approximately five minutes prior to the incident.”The gunman then approaches the victim and keeps shooting. He removes the jam and starts shooting again, suggesting that the gun isn’t working properly,” he added.
At the scene, three 9mm round casings and three live rounds were discovered. Near the site, police also found a cell phone.
The incident seems to have been a targeted strike, Kenny reaffirmed.
“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,” he stated to reporters. “But at this point, we do not know why.”
At Mount Sinai West, Thompson, a Minnesota resident, was declared deceased.
Paulette Thompson, his wife, claimed that he had been getting threats.
“There had been some threats,” she told NBC News throughout a phone discussion. “Basically, a lack of coverage, I guess? Details are unknown to me. All I know is that he said that certain individuals had been threatening him.
According to her, the police informed her that the shooting seemed to be “a planned attack.” According to Tisch, the gunman first escaped on foot before riding a New York Citi Bike. Central Park is where we last saw him.According to authorities, no one has been arrested as of Wednesday morning. A $10,000 prize for information was being offered by Crime Stoppers.
According to the police, the suspect was carrying a gray backpack and was dressed in black jeans and a black sweatshirt. According to a person familiar with the situation, the suspect is thought to have used a gun with a silencer, CNBC said.Although he did not hear any gunshots, a food cart seller close to the location informed NBC News that he did see two helicopters and police cars nearby.
The parent firm, UnitedHealth Group, unexpectedly stopped its annual investor conference Wednesday morning in New York City because of a “very serious medical situation” involving one of its team members.”Deeply saddened and shocked” by Thompson’s passing, the business said in a statement.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the business stated. “Our hearts go out to Brian s family and all who were close to him.”
According to his biographical page, Thompson was appointed CEO of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021. In 2004, he became a member of UnitedHealth Group.Prior to this, he was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s government programs, which included Community & State and Medicare & Retirement. In addition, he oversaw UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement as its CEO.
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