UnitedHealthcare CEO fatally shot outside Manhattan hotel in 'targeted' attack, suspect at large
Manhunt underway for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's killer
UnitedHealthcare CEO shot and killed in NYC
Manhunt underway for UnitedHealthcare's Brian Thompson's shooter as police believe the CEO was targeted.
NEW YORK — The New York City Police Department asked for the public's help in apprehending the unidentified gunman who allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan early Wednesday morning, decrying what investigators deemed a "premeditated, pre-planned attack."
The Hilton Hotel was hosting the UnitedHealthcare annual investors meeting, and police said Thompson had been in town from Minnesota since Monday and was staying across the street.
"It appears the suspect was lying in wait for several minutes, and as the victim was walking to the conference hotel, the suspect approached from behind and fired several rounds, striking the victim at least once in the back and at least once in the right calf," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press conference. "Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target. The suspect fled first on foot, then on an e-bike, and was last seen in Central Park on Center Drive."
The shooting came as tourists flock to the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting, which will take place just blocks away from the scene later Wednesday night.
A manhunt is underway as the suspect remains at-large.
"I want to be clear at this time, every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned and targeted attack," Tisch said. "Millions of people will be enjoying the tree lighting tonight, among other holiday events, and the NYPD will be out there with them, keeping them safe."
HACKERS BEHIND UNITEDHEALTH GROUP CYBERATTACK REPORTEDLY IDENTIFIED
Thompson is survived by his wife Paulette 'Pauley' Thompson, 51, and their two children. They lived together in the family's $1.5 million home in Maple Grove, Minnesota, according to the Daily Mail.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were reaching out to law enforcement in Minnesota, as well as Thompson's coworkers and family members, "to see if there have been any specific threats against him in the past."
Reached by NBC News, Thompson's wife confirmed there had been threats against her husband but said she did not know specifics.
Surveillance footage released by the NYPD shows the alleged suspect wanted for the shooting death of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday. (NYPD )
"There had been some threats," Paulette Thompson told NBC News via a phone call. "Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."
Police were in the process of conducting a search on Thompson's hotel room to investigate further, Kenny said.
The UnitedHealth Group issued a statement confirming Thompson's death.
"We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Brian was a highly 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 during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him."
The NYPD is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. Two surveillance photos released by the department show the perpetrator with a hooded sweatshirt hiding his face, pointing a gun in front of the hotel and then fleeing on an electric bicycle.
Kenny described the shooter as "a light-skinned male" wearing a "light brown wool cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers, and a very distinctive gray backpack."
"The shooter steps on to the sidewalk from behind a car. He ignores numerous other pedestrians, approaches the victim from behind and shoots him in the back," the chief of detectives said. "The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears that the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again."
Surveillance footage shows the alleged suspect wanted for the shooting death of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan fleeing the scene on a bicycle on Wednesday. (NYPD )
"The motive for this murder currently is unknown, but based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear that the victim was specifically targeted. But at this point, we do not know why. This does not appear to be a random act of violence," he added.
Mayor Eric Adams also assured New Yorkers, including business executives, that the NYPD was "on the job," as Thompson's shooting was not a random act of violence.
Adams has message for New Yorkers after UnitedHealthcare CEO killed in shooting
New York Mayor Eric Adams said the United Healthcare CEO was killed in what was ‘not a random act of violence,' assuring New Yorkers the NYPD is 'on the job.' (x/@KaylaMamelak)
Sources previously told Fox News that Thompson was shot in the chest and leg shortly before his UnitedHealthcare annual investors meeting.
The sources said the shooting was not a random incident.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the former Democratic vice presidential candidate, reacted to news of Thompson's killing, decrying the shooting as "horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota," according to The New York Times.
GRAPHIC WARNING:
New cameras captured NYPD officers attempting to revive Thompson. | Fox News
Earlier, before identifying Thompson as the victim, the NYPD told Fox News Digital that a 50-year-old man was shot in the chest outside the Hilton Hotel on 6th Avenue at approximately 6:46 a.m. and was transported to Mt. Sinai West hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. No arrests had been made, and the investigation is ongoing, a police spokesperson said.
UnitedHealth Group
News cameras captured video of NYPD officers working to revive Thompson on the sidewalk outside the Hilton before he was transported to the hospital.
Several witnesses claimed to FOX 5 New York that the suspect appeared to have been lying in wait, potentially overnight, outside the hotel, possibly targeting the victim.
The CEO of UnitedHealthcare was shot and killed in NYC, sources say. (Fox News Digital/ UnitedHealthcare / Fox News)
The New York Post first identified Thompson as the shooting victim.
Thompson’s sister, Elena Reveiz, told the Times via a phone interview that she was still processing hearing that her brother had been killed.
A police officer stands guard in front of the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot on Wednesday. | Fox News
"He was a good person, and I am so sad," Reveiz reportedly said, adding that Thompson was a loving father to his two children.
According to ABC News, police say the shooter was wearing a ski mask.
At the press conference, the chief of detectives said the shooter fled on foot northbound into an alleyway between 54th Street and 55th Street.
Once at West 55th Street, the shooter continued to walk westbound on Avenue of the Americas, "where he gets onto an electric city bike and rides northbound on Avenue of the Americas towards Central Park, where at 6:48 a.m., we have the shooter riding this bike into Central Park at Center Drive," Kenny said.
A spokesperson for Lyft, which owns Citi Bike, told Fox News Digital, "We stand ready to assist law enforcement with this investigation."
Kenny told reporters that a cellphone was recovered from the alleyway that was still being examined by forensics.
Scene near the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where a man was shot to death on Wednesday. | Fox News
The suspect is described as a skinny man, standing at about 6-foot-1 and wearing all black, according to ABC News.
This 2017 file photo of Brian Thompson was released via Businesswire when he was named CEO of UnitedHealthcare Unit in 2017. (Businesswire / Fox News)
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UnitedHealth Group — the parent company to UnitedHealthcare — is the largest health insurance company by market share, according to the American Medical Association.
Fox News' Eric Revell contributed to this report.