NEW YORK – Investigators are trying to find clues that would assist them determine the masked gunman who stalked and killed the chief of one of many largest U.S. medical insurance corporations on a Manhattan sidewalk, then disappeared into Central Park.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, died in a daybreak ambush Wednesday as he walked to the corporate’s annual investor convention at a Hilton in Midtown, blocks from vacationer attracts like Radio Metropolis Music Corridor and the Museum of Fashionable Artwork.
The killing, and the shooter’s actions within the minutes earlier than and afterward, had been captured on a number of the multitudes of safety cameras current in that a part of town.
One video confirmed him method Thompson from behind, degree his pistol and fireplace a number of pictures, barely pausing to clear a short gun jam whereas the dying well being government tumbled to the pavement.
Different safety cameras captured the preliminary levels of the gunman’s escape. He was seen fleeing the block throughout a pedestrian plaza, then escaping on a bicycle into Central Park, the place he vanished.
Police used drones, helicopters and canine in an intense search, however the killer’s whereabouts remained unknown late into the evening.
New York Metropolis Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that whereas investigators had not but established a motive, the taking pictures was no random act of violence.
“Many individuals handed the suspect, however he appeared to attend for his meant goal,” Tisch stated at a information convention Wednesday.
“From watching the video, it does appear that he’s proficient in using firearms as he was capable of clear the malfunctions fairly shortly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny stated.
Police issued a number of surveillance photos of the person, who wore a hooded jacket and a masks that hid most of his face and would not have attracted consideration on a frigid winter day. A number of the images had been taken at a Starbucks espresso store shortly earlier than the taking pictures.
The police division supplied a reward of as much as $10,000 for info resulting in an arrest and conviction.
“Brian was a extremely revered colleague and buddy to all who labored with him,” the insurer’s Minnetonka, Minnesota-based father or mother firm, UnitedHealth Group Inc., stated in a press release. “We’re working intently with the New York Police Division and ask in your endurance and understanding throughout this tough time.”
Thompson’s spouse, Paulette Thompson, informed NBC Information that he informed her “there have been some those who had been threatening him.” She didn’t have particulars however steered the threats might have concerned points with insurance coverage protection.
Eric Werner, the police chief within the Minneapolis suburb the place Thompson lived, stated his division had not obtained any stories of threats towards the chief.
Investigators recovered a number of 9 mm shell casings from exterior the lodge and a cellphone from the alleyway by way of which the shooter fled. They had been additionally looking out Thompson’s lodge room, interviewing his UnitedHealthcare colleagues and reviewing his social media, Kenny stated.
Police initially stated the shooter rode into Central Park on a bicycle from town’s bike-share program, CitiBike. However a spokesperson for this system’s operator, Lyft, stated police officers knowledgeable the corporate Wednesday afternoon that the bike was not from the CitiBike fleet.
Well being care large UnitedHealth Group was holding its annual assembly with traders to replace Wall Road on the corporate’s path and expectations for the approaching 12 months. The corporate ended the convention early within the wake of Thompson’s loss of life.
Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with the corporate since 2004 and served as CEO for greater than three years.
UnitedHealthcare is the most important supplier of Medicare Benefit plans within the U.S. and manages medical insurance protection for employers and state and federally funded Medicaid applications.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz posted on the social platform X that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s household and the UnitedHealthcare crew.”
“That is horrifying information and a horrible loss for the enterprise and well being care group in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote.
___
Related Press writers Tom Murphy in Indianapolis, Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, contributed to this story.
Copyright 2024 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.
