What a new photo reveals about the shooter in the murder of CEO Brian Thompson

New York City police officers are using facial recognition technology and a discarded cellphone to identify the man who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday morning.

Thompson, 50, was fatally shot in the back outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan just before 7 a.m. EST (12:00 GMT).

The attacker fled the scene without taking Thompson’s belongings. Police believe he was the target of a pre-planned killing.

Here’s what we know about the suspect and the investigation.

The shooting took place around 6:45 a.m. EST (11:45 a.m. GMT) in a busy part of Manhattan near Times Square and Central Park. Thompson was scheduled to speak at an investor conference later in the day.

According to police, the suspect – who was wearing a black face mask and cream jacket – appeared to wait for Thompson for five minutes outside the Hilton hotel where he was scheduled to speak.

Thompson, who arrived on foot, was shot in the back and leg and later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

NYPD Chief Detective Joseph Kenny revealed that the suspect’s gun appeared to have malfunctioned, but he was able to quickly repair it and continue firing.

The video shows him fleeing the scene on foot; He was last spotted riding an electric bike in Central Park

So far, the investigation into Thompson’s murder has focused on a few clues that helped police identify the suspect.

Police said the suspect was photographed at a nearby Starbucks just minutes before the shooting.

While he is masked in the image, police sources told CBS, the BBC’s US affiliate, that the mask was pulled down so far that his eyes and part of his nose could be seen.

The investigators use facial recognition software to find a match.

In addition, police are testing three bullet casings and three live cartridges found at the crime scene for DNA.

A cell phone was discovered in an alley along the suspect’s escape route. Police say they are “searching” the phone.

Investigators also said they would search Thompson’s room at the nearby Marriott, which is on the same street where the incident occurred.

So far, investigators have not identified a motive for the killing, although police determined that the attacker fled without taking Thompson’s belongings.

In an interview with MSNBC, Thompson’s wife said there had been “some threats” against him previously, but could not provide details.

“All I know is that he said there were some people who threatened him,” she said.

According to police in Thompson’s hometown of Maple Grove, Minnesota, there had already been a suspicious incident at his home in 2018.

The incident was solved and no criminal activity was detected. No further details were provided.