NYPD releases new profile in investigation of murder of health insurance CEO

The gunman who killed the CEO of one of the largest health insurance companies in the US in front of Manhattan surveillance cameras in midtown Thursday remained free of the attraction thrown by the largest police department in the country.

The New York Police Department released a new surveillance profile earlier in the day, asking for the public's help in identifying the person for questioning.

The person is unconscious, according to surveillance images released Wednesday. In these images, the man was wearing a hooded jacket and a mask that hid most of his face, which would not have attracted attention on a frigid day.

Some of the photos were taken at a Starbucks coffee shop shortly before the shooting.

Investigators also believe the gunman may have traveled to New York last month on a bus originally from Atlanta, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. Police and federal agents have been gathering information from Greyhound in an effort to identify the man and are working to determine if he bought the ticket to New York in late November, the official said. .

Police offered a reward of up to $10,000 US for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Last seen riding in Central Park

The CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thomson, 50, was killed in an ambush Wednesday morning as he walked to the company's annual investor conference at the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the United States and manages employer health insurance coverage and the state and federally funded Medicaid programs, but it's unclear at this point whether the killing was Thompson related to his work.

Investigators recovered several 9-mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cell phone from the road through which the shooter fled, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said earlier.

Three words were written on the legs, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday: “deny,” “defend” and “retaliate.”

They are similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend” – the way some lawyers describe the strategy used by insurers to avoid paying claims and the title of a 2010 book who was very critical of the industry.

The police have not made an official reference to the wording or any connection between them and the insurance industry. They have also said that officers have not determined a motive.

Online response is aimed at the insurance industry

But Thompson's shooting and the words on the gun have sparked a response online that reflects a deeper frustration Americans have about the cost and complexity of accessing health care.

By the time UnitedHealthcare closed the comments on it Facebook mourning post a CEOthere were more than 36,000 smiley emojis compared to about 2,200 sad responses.

An Instagram post by the company was similarly locked down, with the comments visible by Thursday. It was the same true on X.

In Facebook shares of the company's post, one person offered the shooter a place to stay. Another person wrote, “I would offer thoughts and prayers, but they are not covered because they are out of network,” a reference to terminology used by insurers when a care provider does not have a contract. health with your health insurance plan.

“Shutting down ideas faster than shutting down claims, is the way of the UnitedHealth Group,” wrote a commenter on the the company's Facebook page Thursday morning.

Anthony Zenkusactivist and lecturer at Columbia University's School of Social Work, continued his own comment section when he wrote on X.

“Today, we mourn the death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thomson, shot down… to be a multi-millionaire.”

Others, however, were quick to criticize those who used the killing to express their frustration with the insurance industry.

“I didn't know Mr. Thompson. I'm not a fan of UnitedHealthCare; I had them once, and I didn't like it. broad daylight (false) is good or acceptable in any way, you're wrong And you are sick,” one person wrote in a Facebook share of the company's post.

“A family is mourning!” he insulted another person.

Thomson was an 'intended target', police say

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told a news conference Wednesday that the shooting was not a random act of violence but that she did not connect Thompson's role as head of the insurance company that ' meeting with investors inside the hotel that day.

“Many people passed the suspect, but he seemed to be waiting for his intended target,” she said.

Investigators believe, judging from surveillance video and evidence collected from the scene, that the shooter had at least some training and military experience with firearms and that the weapon was equipped with a silencer , said one of the law enforcement officials who spoke to AP.

Investigators are also looking into whether the suspect had pre-positioned a bicycle as part of an escape plan, the official said. The shooter fled on a bicycle and was last seen riding into Central Park.

An employee at a nearby hostel confirmed that police had visited the location on Thursday with questions about the investigation but declined to provide further details.

Minnesota police are not aware of any threats

Security camera video showed Thompson's fatal approach from behind, level his gun and fire several shots, barely pausing to clear gun jam as the health executive fell to the pavement. Other cameras captured the first stages of the gunman's escape. He fled the block across a pedestrian crossing, then fled on his bicycle.

Police used drones, helicopters and dogs in an intensive search for the suspect.

The parent company of Minnetonka, Minn.-based insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc. held its annual meeting with investors to update Wall Street on the company's direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early after Thompson's death.

Thomson, a father of two sons, had been with the company since 2004 and was CEO for more than three years.

“Brian was a well-respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” UnitedHealth Group said in a statement. “We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and your understanding in this difficult time.”

Thompson's wife, Paulette Thompson, described him in a statement as “a very loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives. “

She told NBC News that Thompson told her that “some people had been threatening him. ” She didn't have details but suggested the threats may have involved insurance issues.

Eric Werner, police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received reports of threats against the executive.