Police are still searching for the gunman who killed the CEO of a major American health insurance company in New York on Wednesday in what the city's top official described as a “brazen targeted attack”.
Brian Thompson, the head of UnitedHealthcare, was shot as he walked into the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan just before 6:45 a.m. ET. Police said the attacker had been waiting for Thompson, who was heading to the hotel for the company's annual investor conference.
“This does not appear to be random violence,” New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Wednesday.
“At this point, there is every indication that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack.”
The police department's chief of detectives, Joseph Kenny, said that the shooter got to the hotel about five minutes before Thompson, who had been staying in another hotel across the street. Standing next to the building, the gunman let several people pass unharmed before opening fire on the businessman.
Video obtained by CNN shows an assailant pointing a gun at UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson on a sidewalk in New York City on Wednesday. Thompson died after what police said appeared to be a 'targeted' shooting.
Security footage obtained by CBC News showed the gun malfunctioned, but the shooter cleared the jam. The gunman also ignored a witness in the video, who fled from just a couple of meters away.
“Based on the evidence we have so far, it appears that the victim was specifically targeted, but at this point, we don't know why,” Kenny said.
The assailant fled on foot before switching to an electric bicycle, and was last seen on video riding into Central Park at 6:48 a.m., the official said.
Police initially said the shooter rode into the park on a bicycle from CitiBike, the bike share program. But a spokesman for the program's operator, Lyft, said police officials told the company Wednesday afternoon that the bike did not come from CitiBike's fleet.
Thompson, 50, was pronounced dead at Roosevelt Hospital at 7:12 a.m
Kenny said the executive did not appear to have a security detail and did not appear to realize he was in danger. There is no sound in the footage, he said, so the officers did not yet know if the shooter said anything to him.
Victim called 'well-respected colleague'
UnitedHealth is the largest health insurer in the US, providing benefits to tens of millions of Americans, who pay more for health care than those in any other country.
The company has been dealing with a massive data loss its Change Healthcare unit which provides technology to US health providers, disrupting medical care for patients and reimbursement for doctors for months.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Brian Thompson, 50, was killed in what appears to be a 'pre-planned, targeted attack' in Manhattan.
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty took the stage about an hour after the conference began Wednesday and announced that the rest of the program would be canceled.
“We are dealing with a very serious medical condition with one of our team members, and as a result, I'm afraid we will have to end the event today,” he said.
Thompson, who lived in Minnesota, had been in town since Monday. He had been CEO for over three years and joined the company in 2004.
“Brian was a well-respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding in the this is a difficult time,” read social media post from UnitedHealth Group.
“Our hearts go out to Brian's family and everyone who was close to him.
Police said they are still working to determine a motive.
Thompson's wife, Paulette Thompson, to NBC News that her husband told her that “there were some who were threatening him.” She did not 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.
The Hilton is located in a busy part of Manhattan, a short walk from tourist sites such as the Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller Center. It is often crowded with tourists and office workers on weekday mornings.
Police said the shooting will not affect the annual Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center – a few blocks from the Hilton – which went on as recorded Wednesday night amid a stepped-up police presence.
Part of the block where the shooting took place was cordoned off with police tape, with a large contingent of police officers at the scene.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the state “sends our prayers to Brian's family and the UnitedHealthcare team.
“This is terrible news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” Walz wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the US and manages health insurance coverage for employers, as well as Medicaid programs funded by the state and federal governments.
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