New York — A manhunt is underway in New York for the gunman who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday morning in what authorities said appeared to be a targeted attack.
Thompson, 50, was shot once in the back around 6:45 a.m. outside the Hilton Midtown hotel on Sixth Avenue near West 54th Street in New York City, officials said at a press conference Wednesday. Thompson was not a guest at the Hilton but was staying at another hotel nearby and walking to the Hilton for a corporate event when he was attacked.
The shooting happened ahead of an investors conference that UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, was scheduled to host on Wednesday at the Hilton, according to a spokesperson for the subsidiary.
What we know about the suspect in CEO shooting
The suspect has not been identified. He is a light-skinned man and was wearing a grey colored backpack, which NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny described as “very distinctive.” Kenny said the gunman was also wearing a light brown or cream colored jacket, black face mask and black-and-white sneakers.
The NYPD released these surveillance images of the suspect in the deadly shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan. / Credit: NYPD
The suspect appeared to be lying in wait for Thompson for several minutes, newly sworn-in Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during Wednesday’s news conference. A senior NYPD official told CBS News that the suspect’s arrival before Thompson indicates he knew where the CEO was staying and when he would arrive at the conference.
“Based on the evidence we have so far it does appear that the victim was specifically targeted, but we don’t know why,” Kenny said.
Thompson was staying at another hotel across the street, Kenny said. He left his hotel shortly after 6:40 to head over to the Hilton. Kenny said police are speaking to Thompson’s coworkers to understand why he was headed to the hotel so early, but said the CEO was in charge of the conference and may have been going over to help set up.
The suspect approached Thompson from behind at 6:44 a.m., then shot him at least once in the back and once in the right calf. A security camera captured the incident.
Kenny said the suspect appeared to be proficient in the use of firearms, noting that the suspect appeared to quickly fix a jam in his weapon. The suspect also had a silencer on the weapon, the NYPD said.
The suspect first fled on foot before getting on an electronic CitiBike, Tisch said. He was last seen in Central Park. Police are attempting to track him through video canvass, Kenny said. CitiBikes do have GPS tracking, Kenny said, and the NYPD will work with the company for that information. A spokesperson for Lyft, which owns and operates CitiBike, said the company was “ready to assist” with the investigation.
What evidence have police found?
Three live 9 millimeter rounds and three discharged 9 millimeter shell casings were recovered from the scene, Kenny said. Police also found a cellphone along the route the suspect used to flee the scene. Police are doing a forensic analysis of the device to determine if it belongs to the suspect, Kenny said.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed in a shooting Wednesday morning outside a hotel in Midtown, Manhattan, the NYPD says. / Credit: CBS News New York
Police are still going through surveillance images and said they have video, but no audio, of the shooting. A joint law enforcement task force said they were conducting a reverse video canvass. Investigators will look at footage from all cameras from the crime scene all cameras from the crime scene and in the surrounding areas to try to track the suspect’s escape route.
They are also looking to see where the suspect may have come from.
Investigators and security at UnitedHealthcare are combing through files searching for a possible motive, looking for possible previous threats, and disgruntled or recently fired workers, a law enforcement source said. The company said it is cooperating with the investigation. Police are also looking at social media and interviewing employees, family members and others who knew Thompson, Kenny said.
Ongoing manhunt will not disrupt holiday events
NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said that police will use all of the resources at their disposal, including drone and K-9 units, to find the suspect. People in Manhattan can expect to see a heavier-than-usual police presence in the borough, especially at Wednesday night’s Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center, Maddrey said.
“When an incident like this happens, we don’t spare any expense,” Maddrey said.
Pat Milton and John Doyle contributed to this article.
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