Brian Thompson: Murder suspect, CCTV image of UnitedHealthcare CEO released by police when authorities found it

New information 9 minutes that don’t go by

US police authorities are beginning a manhunt in New York City after the head of US insurance company UnitedHealthcare was shot there in what police are calling a “targeted attack”.

Brian Thompson was shot in the back and leg outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan around 6:45 a.m. EST (11:45 GMT) on Wednesday.

A suspect was carrying a gray backpack, ran from the scene and was last seen heading toward Central Park on an e-bike, according to New York police.

Thompson, head of the largest private insurer in the United States, is traveling to Minnesota and New York to speak at an investor conference later in the day.

The 51-year-old died at a nearby hospital while rushing for treatment. Police described the incident as a “targeted attack.”

Police say the suspect waited outside for Thompson and fled the scene wearing a ski mask.

I guess we’ll carry a backpack and walk through Central Park on an e-bike.

According to police, the suspect is a light-skinned man wearing a gray backpack, a tan or cream jacket, a white face mask and black and white sneakers.

E ends up five minutes ahead of Thompson in the scene, deliberately aiming to ignore nearby pedestrians.

After he shot Thompson once, a ceasefire ensued. Eliminate suspicion and shoot again. We walk and later hop on an electric city bike to ride to Central Park.

The New York City Police Department is not sharing images of the suspect in the shooting of Brian Thompson on X.

The two images appear to be screenshots from CCTV footage from outside a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan.

Thompson is the head of UnitedHealthcare, the largest private insurer in the United States.

Dem names Thompson CEO of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021. I earned $10.2 million (£8 million) from my work for the company last year.

The 50-year-old started at the health insurer in 2004 and has held several leadership positions, including CEO of the company’s government programs department.

According to my LinkedIn profile, he graduated from the University of Iowa in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

UnitedHealthcare, America’s largest health insurance company, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, operates among physicians, hospice networks and surgical centers, administers prescription drug benefit programs and works closely with health insurers such as Medicare and Medicaid.

They regularly accuse the company of refusing to pay for valid medical care and claim that this has failed to result in legal action and settlements in some states. Regulators are also suing over the takeovers they plan to make, saying they hold too tight a hold on the industry.

Earlier this year, the company drew ire for being the target of a hacker attack, causing financial harm to medical practices across the country and drawing allegations that the company failed to adopt proper cybersecurity practices.

The controversies have no impact on business. Before the investor day, the company forecast double-digit sales growth and profits of around 10% next year.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest healthcare company in the United States based in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

In the 1970s they founded the parent company UnitedHealth Group. In 2023, the company’s net profit is $22.3 billion.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare health insurance in the country. E also manages business health insurance and state and federally funded Medicare.

The company employs around 440,000 people worldwide.