Brian Thompson shooting: What we know about the search for a suspect in the assassination of the UnitedHealthcare CEO

new York
CNN
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Police are searching for a gunman who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in what they say was a courageous and premeditated daytime attack in the heart of New York City.

According to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the masked gunman was “lying in wait” outside the Hilton Midtown shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday as Thompson made his way to the hotel to attend his company’s annual investor conference.

As Thompson approached the building, he was met by a dark-skinned man A person wearing a gray backpack appeared several feet behind the manager and shot him in the back, according to surveillance video obtained by CNN.

Thompson then stumbled forward before turning to face the attacker and falling to the ground. The gunman calmly walked toward the CEO and continued firing – as a video shows, he appeared to briefly clear a jam with the firearm before firing again.

Thompson was pronounced dead less than half an hour after the incident and the search for the gunman, who fled into Central Park, continues Thursday.

Police are combing through surveillance videos and investigating clues the shooter may have left behind as he fled.

The words “delay” and “depose” were found on live ammunition and a shell casing tied to the shooter, law enforcement sources told CNN on Thursday, responding to an earlier ABC News report about three words found.

“Depose” was written on a bullet casing that was fired at the victim. “Delay” was written on a live cartridge that was ejected when the shooter apparently wanted to clear a jam.

Police are investigating whether the words found indicate a motive, citing a popular phrase in the insurance industry: “delay, deny, defend.”

Here’s what we know about the murder, reports of threats against company executives, and the ongoing investigation:

The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, although police have called it a “premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack” on West 53rd Street and 6th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan – just blocks from Rockefeller Center, where the annual Christmas tree lighting takes place The event took place on Wednesday evening.

Investigators told CNN that after the shooting, the attacker crossed the street from the Hilton, fled through an alley and got on an electric bicycle on 55th Street before riding north on 6th Avenue toward Central Park, where he was last seen at 6 :48 am was seen Bin

Authorities searched the area but did not find the shooter’s bike or weapon. However, they did find a phone and a bottle of water that the suspect may have dropped as he fled through the alley.

Video at a nearby Starbucks showed the attacker buying a bottle of water and two energy bars about 30 minutes before the shooting, a senior police official said.

The phone could provide fingerprints, DNA and — if police technicians can unlock the phone — other clues to the suspect’s identity, investigators said. Even if it is a “burner phone,” it could provide evidence of communications and searches before the shooting. According to investigators, the water bottle could also contain traces of DNA.

Officers are also checking whether the bike was prepositioned because they believe the suspect may have ridden the subway from the Upper West Side to Midtown, according to police officials briefed on the investigation.

Investigators also have video of the suspect on the Upper West Side, apparently carrying a battery for an electric bicycle, the sources said.

Police believe the shooter is a “light-skinned male” who was last seen wearing “a tan or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and a very distinctive gray backpack.” . They are offering up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.

While a weapon has not yet been identified, investigators believe the suspect acted slowly, deliberately and in a manner that suggested he was an experienced sniper, according to law enforcement officials spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity during the ongoing investigation.

Firearms experts who have studied the video say that although it appeared that the weapon malfunctioned with each shot, the attacker responded confidently and removed the block in the weapon – as if the suspect were someone who had firearms training in law enforcement or the military.

“It appears that he is proficient with firearms as he was able to resolve the disturbances fairly quickly,” NYPD Chief Joe Kenny said at a news conference Wednesday.

According to a police official and firearms expert, the weapon also appeared to be equipped with a silencer, which can cause the weapon to malfunction and jam if not installed with special modifications.

“Jamming” refers to the weapon not loading another bullet into the chamber after firing. The shooter was seen pulling the bolt back to clear the “jam” and load another cartridge.

The shooting was a “brazen, targeted attack,” NYPD Commissioner Tisch said, describing the gunman as waiting several minutes, stepping onto the sidewalk behind a car and aiming at Thompson, even though he was within sight of other people driving by Cars located from.

“We will not rest until we identify and arrest the shooter in this case,” Tisch said.

While police have not given a motive for Thompson’s shooting, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN that UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group – America’s largest insurance company – was aware of threats against its senior executives.

Thompson’s name was not specifically mentioned, but the threats were about pursuing senior company executives, the source said.

In an interview with NBC, Thompson’s widow Paulette told the network that there had been “some threats” against her husband.

“Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know any details,” she said. “All I know is that he said there were some people who threatened him.”

Paulette Thompson declined to comment to CNN about the threats she described to NBC.

UnitedHealth Group leadership will be supported by an internal security team, including at the New York conference, a source familiar with the company’s security said. Thompson’s security guard was not with him at the time of the shooting.

Thompson’s widow said her family was “shattered” by the “senseless killing of our beloved Brian.”

“Brian was an incredibly loving, generous and talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives,” Paulette Thompson told CNN on Wednesday. “Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and we miss him dearly.”

Thompson, who lived in Minnesota, was named chief executive of UnitedHealthcare in 2021 and had been with the company since 2004. Before being named chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, Thompson worked as CEO of the company’s government programs business, which includes Medicare and retirement companies.

The 50-year-old graduated from the University of Iowa in 1997 with a degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting. According to LinkedIn, he graduated at the top of his class. He was a Collegiate Scholar, Carver Scholar, State of Iowa Scholar and Faculty Scholar. Thompson graduated from South Hamilton High School in Jewell, Iowa in 1993.

“We are deeply saddened and shocked by the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare,” the company said in a public statement.

“Brian was a valued colleague and friend to everyone who worked with him. We are working closely with the NYPD and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our thoughts are with Brian’s family and everyone who was close to him.”

Thompson was sued in May for alleged fraud and illegal insider trading. The Hollywood Firefighters’ Pension Fund filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group, CEO Andrew Witty, Executive Chairman Stephen Hemsley and Thompson, alleging that the executives planned to drive up the company’s shares by triggering a U.S. antitrust investigation. Ministry of Justice against the company had not disclosed.

The Southern District of New York declined to comment. UnitedHealthcare did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.