UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot to death in New York

Brian Thomson, CEO United Health OrganizationThe insurance unit, was fatally shot outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning in what appears to be “a brazen, targeted attack,” the New York Police Department said.

“I want to be clear at this point, all indications are that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. Wednesday after the shooting.

“This does not appear to be random violence,” she said, adding that the department is conducting a full investigation.

The gunman was still at large more than 24 hours later.

Thompson, 50, headed UnitedHealthcare, the largest private health insurer in the United States. The company canceled that event after the shooting.

Patrol officers responded to a 911 call at 6:46 a.m. ET about a person shot in front of the Hilton hotel at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at the press conference. Officers arrived at 6:48 a.m. ET to find Thompson on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds to his back and leg, he said.

Emergency medical services took Thompson to Roosevelt Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m. ET, according to Kenny.

Thompson had been staying at the Luxury Collection Manhattan Midtown Hotel, a Marriott-affiliated property located on 54th Street, according to NBC News.

The gunman showed up at the scene on foot, about five minutes before Thompson arrived outside the Hilton, Kenny said. Several people passed him while he was waiting for Thompson, he said.

Before the shooting, the gunman stopped by a downtown Starbucks and bought several items that he later disposed of, including a bottle of water and two protein bars, a senior law enforcement official said. attorney in NYC who was briefed on the investigation by NBC News.

As Thomson walked alone towards the Hill, the shooter stepped onto the sidewalk from behind a car and approached Thompson from behind, firing several rounds that hit him at least once in the back and at least once in the right calf, according to Kenny and security video obtained by NBC News. After the initial shots, the gun appeared to have misfired before the attacker fired again.

After the shooting, the gunman fled on foot into an alley between 54th and 55th streets, according to Kenny. He said the shooter then walked west on Avenue of the Americas, where he got on an e-bike and rode to Central Park.

Tisch said the attacker was last seen in Central Park on Center Drive early this morning. Kenny said the gunman was wearing a black face mask, black and white sneakers, and a “very distinctive” gray backpack. Video of the shooting showed the shooter wearing a hooded jacket.

The NYPD recovered three live 9 mm rounds and spent three 9 mm shell casings at the scene, Kenny said. He said they recovered a cell phone.

No one was arrested. The NYPD has increased the reward in the case to $10,000, Tisch noted.

The gunman was said to be using a silenced firearm, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC.

Kenny said the NYPD cannot yet confirm whether the shooter used silence. The department will look into that further, he said.

A hot dog vendor near the Hill who was present at 6:30 a.m. ET said he did not hear any gunshots but noticed a sudden rush of police. A Hilton doorman who began his shift at 7 a.m. ET said everything appeared to be “very normal” at the hotel. Both asked not to be named.

He is survived by his wife, Paulette Thomson, and their two children.

Thomson's wife to NBC News that he had been receiving threats. She said the NYPD told her it was a planned attack.

“Yes, there have been some risks basically I don't know, lack of coverage? I don't know the details,” she told NBC News. “I know he said some people had been threatening him. “

She told NBC News that Thompson hasn't changed any of his travel habits despite the risks.

“I can't give a thoughtful response right now,” Paulette Thompson told NBC News. “I found this out and I'm trying to comfort my kids.”

UnitedHealth Group is the largest healthcare conglomerate in the United States based on revenue and a market cap of approximately $563 billion. UnitedHealthcare posted more than $281 billion in revenue last year, accounting for more than two-thirds of UnitedHealth Group's annual revenue for 2023.

Shares of UnitedHealth Group rose more than 1% on Wednesday.

In a statement Wednesday, UnitedHealth Group said it was “saddened and shocked by the death” of Thompson. The company called him “a colleague and friend who is highly respected by all who worked with him.”

“We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time,” UnitedHealth Group said. “Our hearts go out to Brian's family and everyone who was close to him.

Earlier on Wednesday, the company canceled its investment event when it became aware of a “medical condition” with an employee.

“I'm afraid that we will be – some of you may know that we are dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members,” Chief Executive Officer Andrew Witty said during the day of the investment, according to a transcript. “And as a result, I'm afraid we have to end the event today, which I'm sure you understand.”

Thompson had worked for United Health for just over 20 years, joining the company in April 2004 after spending nearly seven years at PwC, according to his LinkedIn page. He joined as CEO of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021 after serving as chief executive of the insurance unit's government programs.

Thompson was a resident of Maple Grove, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, and graduated valedictorian from the University of Iowa.

He had been facing insider trading charges.

In May, a firefighters' pension fund in Hollywood, Florida, sued United HealthGroup, Thompson, Witty and CEO Stephen Hemsley. The suit accused the executives of selling $120 million in company shares before a US Justice Department antitrust investigation was made public.

The DOJ investigation was related to UnitedHealth Group's 2021 acquisition of Change Healthcare, which handles medical claims.

The lawsuit said Thompson knew about the investigation as early as October 2023 and sold $15.1 million worth of shares on Feb. 16, less than two weeks before notice of the investigation was made public, according to the complaint.

The Gov said Kathy Hochul of New York said in a statement Wednesday that she was informed of the shooting and asked the state police to provide any assistance to the NYPD with the investigation.

“Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of Mr Thompson and we are committed to ensuring that the perpetrator is brought to justice,” she said.

The Gov. announced Tim Walz of Minnesota called the killing “shocking news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community” in his mail Wednesday on X.

UnitedHealth Group is still dealing with the aftermath ransomware attack in February targeting their company, Change Healthcare, which handles medical claims. The attack compromised the protected health information of at least 100 million people.

– Ester Bloom and NBC News' David K. Li contributed to this report.