The president (CEO) of UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest health insurers in the United States, was shot and killed outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning (4). The New York police commissioner described the incident as a “brazen and targeted attack.”
The executive, Brian Thompson, 50, was shot around 6:45 AM at the New York Hilton Hotel on Avenue of the Americas near 54th Street. According to the police, the shooter waited for Thompson outside the hotel, ignoring other passersby, before opening fire and hitting him in the back and leg.
By Wednesday afternoon, investigators were still searching for the shooter, who fled down Avenue of the Americas and was last seen in Central Park. A surveillance image released by the police showed a person in black clothing, wearing a hood and carrying a backpack, pointing a gun. Another image shows the person fleeing on what the police said was an electric bicycle. None of the images showed the shooter’s face.
The attack occurred on the morning of the company’s annual investor conference in New York City, and Thompson arrived early to prepare for the conference, police said.
The shooter apparently knew which door Thompson would enter, according to two people familiar with the investigation, and fired at him multiple times from a few feet away.
During the press conference, investigators said that the suspect’s gun jammed during the attack, and the shooter quickly cleared the weapon and resumed firing. A cellphone recovered from an alley where the suspect fled is being analyzed to see if it is linked to the murder.
In a statement, UnitedHealth Group said that the company was “deeply saddened and shocked” by Thompson’s death. “Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him,” the company said.
Thompson spent more than 20 years climbing the ranks at UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest health insurers in the country and a major division of the UnitedHealth Group conglomerate. He had been CEO since 2021.
According to NY police, Thompson appeared to be unaware that he was in danger and there was no security detail around him.
Source: The New York Times