How a Midtown shooter escaped — and how the NYPD was able to use technology to find him

The site where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot Wednesday morning is one of the busiest blocks in the country, and the shooting occurred at one of the busiest times of the year.

That the suspected gunman was able to shoot someone and escape despite all the technology available to track him indicates a professional level of training and planning, according to a police expert.

NYPD officials said at a news conference that the prominent CEO was killed by a light-skinned man who was waiting for Thompson to appear on his way to an investor conference. Ignoring other people walking nearby, the suspect shot Thompson multiple times in the back and leg before fleeing through the alley west of the Ziegfeld Ballroom, also known as 6½ Avenue. According to police officials, the shooter was still at large on Thursday morning.

Although Midtown’s surveillance and tracking technology failed to stop the suspected killer, it could help police find him, the police expert said. Here are some of the technologies that police may be able to use in tracking down the suspect.

Video surveillance

In the hours after the killing, police said they were able to determine the shooter’s escape route by stitching together video surveillance footage.

“We source video from numerous locations and numerous sources,” NYPD Chief Detective Joseph Kenny said at a news conference. Kenny said a “distinctive gray backpack” the suspect was carrying would help police identify him on video.

According to police expert Jill Snider, a former NYPD officer who now teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, that gray backpack could be crucial when it comes to presenting a potential case to jurors.

“To make a legal and legitimate arrest that will stand up in court, you don’t need gaps in surveillance,” she said, citing missing periods when the suspected killer was out of the picture.

Drones in Central Park

Police said the suspect fled north into Central Park and at some point got on a bicycle. There are fewer cameras in the park, but another new technology could help police fill the gaps, Snider said: drones.

While all entrances to Central Park are equipped with surveillance cameras, there are many blind spots in the park, she said. She added that these blind spots could be a reason the suspected killer chose this route – and an indication that he spent a lot of time planning.

“He definitely had an escape route planned,” Snider said. “There are caves in this park. There are lots of hiding places down at the boathouse. I’m sure there are hundreds of officers sweeping the park right now.”

The NYPD recently launched a drone patrol program in Central Park, with drones conducting regular patrols. Police officials did not respond to questions about whether the drones were patrolling at the time the suspect fled.

“The drones the NYPD uses are sophisticated,” Snider said.

The department has more than 100 drones, which are controlled by a team of about 60 officers from police headquarters. They have high-resolution cameras and a battery life of 40 minutes.

cell phone

Police said they recovered a cellphone at the scene but did not confirm whether it belonged to the suspect. If this were the case, it could contain a wealth of clues including who it is registered with, previous location data, possible browsing history and communications.

Snider said the phone could have the owner’s call history, email account or messaging apps.

“At least this will give them an idea of ​​where that phone was if they (the owner) left their location on,” she said.

Snider said if the suspected killer had planned as much as he apparently did, he might have remembered to turn off his phone’s location history.

GPS

Police said the suspect was last seen on video riding away on a bike they initially described as a Citi Bike. A credit card is required to register all Citi Bikes. They are also tracked via GPS.

“GPS is on these bikes and we will work with the company,” said the NYPD’s Kenny.

Snider said it took a great deal of skill and planning for the suspected killer to have so far evaded capture.

“I think they’ll find him for sure, but I’m just very surprised that it happened within eight hours, nine hours already and they didn’t do it,” she said Wednesday.