Authorities are reportedly making some serious headway in the investigation of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was fatally shot outside a Hilton hotel in Manhattan on Wednesday morning.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams suggested that investigators already knew the name of the suspected shooter, but he did not divulge it to the public. “We don’t want to release that now. If we do, we are basically giving a tip to the person we are seeking, and we do not want to give him an upper hand at all,” he told reporters, according to reports.
“Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask. We revealed his face. We’re going to reveal who he is and we’re going to bring him to justice,” Adams added.
Adams affirmed that “The net is tightening…”
Law enforcement has been tracking down multiple leads, including surveillance footage, a water bottle and coffee cup that the suspect threw away, and a backpack found in Central Park, where the shooter fled after the incident.
Divers are also searching the waters of Central Park for the murder weapon, but it is not yet clear whether anything was retrieved.
The authorities noted that the killing appeared meticulously planned, with the shooter using a silenced firearm to murder Thompson before fleeing the scene on an electric bike. Investigators have been combing through a mass of surveillance footage to piece together a detailed timeline of the suspect’s movements before and after the attack.
Other reports suggested that law enforcement was making progress on the case despite various challenges.
The shooter is believed to have taken several measures to avoid detection, including using a fake New Jersey driver’s license to check into an Upper West Side hostel. However, his execution of the plan was still flawed. “What surprises me is how well planned the actual attack was, and at the same time how sloppy the killer was in his movements, in his showing his face, in leaving behind items,” said retired FBI special agent Steve Moore.
Video obtained by Yahoo News appears to show the suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson minutes before the attack. A manhunt for the shooter entered its third day on Friday in what officials are calling a “targeted attack.” https://t.co/g3X1mX2QpF pic.twitter.com/7t6JPak44o
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) December 6, 2024
Mayor Adams praised law enforcement agencies working to catch the suspect, calling their collaboration “exceptional.”
The shooter’s motive remains unclear. Some have speculated that he was a professional hitman, but several experts disagreed and suggested a personal vendetta. Investigators found bullet casings inscribed with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” at the scene.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch expressed confidence that they would soon apprehend the killer, citing the amount of evidence they have collected so far.
The manhunt continues as law enforcement closes in on the murderer. “We want to make sure this person is removed off the streets of America—not only off the streets of New York,” Adams told reporters.
