UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson killed before investor conference in NYC • New Jersey Monitor

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was shot Wednesday morning outside the Hilton in midtown Manhattan where he was scheduled to address investors.

A manhunt is currently underway for the shooter who police believe targeted Thompson in the shooting. However, the motive remains unclear, according to police New York Times.

Thompson, a Minnesota resident, took the helm of the insurance division of UnitedHealth Group, one of the largest in the country, in 2021. He worked at UnitedHealth Group for nearly 21 years and graduated from the University of Iowa, according to LinkedIn.

He was entering the hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference when he was shot in the chest by a masked man who then fled on a bicycle, CNN reported. Thompson was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The investor conference was abruptly canceled after the shooting.

“We are dealing with a very serious … situation,” UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said, according to PIX11. “We have to finish the event today… I apologize for bringing things to a close, but I hope you understand.”

UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest companies in the country, with sales of $372 billion last year.

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the killing a “brazen targeted attack.”

“This is terrible news and a terrible loss for Minnesota’s economy and health care,” Gov. Tim Walz wrote on X.

Wife: Thompson had received threats

NBC News reported that Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, said he had received threats.

“There had been some threats,” she said in a phone call with NBC News. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know the details. All I know is that he said there were some people who threatened him.”

The Star Tribune reports that Thompson was the father of two Wayzata High School students, one current and one who graduated this year last spring.

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