The unanswered questions: UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder leaves trail of unknowns
The gunman who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York City hotel on Wednesday is still at large – but police appear to be honing in on the suspect’s identity as their search intensifies.
Thompson, a 50-year-old Minnesota resident, was due to speak at an investor meeting when he was gunned down at point-blank range around 6.45am outside the New York Hilton Midtown on 6th Avenue in what police are calling a “targeted attack.”
The suspect was last seen cycling out of Central Park on West 85th Street just before 7am on Wednesday about 12 minutes after cycling into the park on an e-bike, according to footage obtained by NBC News.
As of Friday morning, new clues have emerged as police continue to piece together information regarding the assailants’ whereabouts before the CEO was fatally shot. A manhunt is also still underway and police are offering a $10,000 reward for anyone with information.
The gunman was lying in wait for Thompson outside the Hilton on Wednesday morning before opening fire. His name has not been released, nor is there a clear picture of his face. At this point, nobody has taken responsibility for the slaying.
The suspect was captured on camera at a nearby Starbucks. Images from surveillance footage show the suspect to be a man wearing all black, with a black face mask, black and white sneakers and carrying a gray backpack.
Police say the attack on Thompson was targeted but it’s unclear if the two knew each other.
“He appeared to wait for his intended target,” New York Police Department commissioner Jessica Tisch said Wednesday during a press conference. “I want to be clear: At this time, every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack.”
During his escape, the gunman appeared to drop a water bottle he had purchased from Starbucks 30 minutes before the attack, which could provide vital DNA evidence in helping identify the suspect.
Police have not released an official motive for the shooting – but many have speculated the killing might be connected to Thompson’s role in running one of the nation’s largest health insurance companies.
Police described the killing as a “targeted attack”, and it was later revealed that the gunman left behind a cryptic message at the scene.
According to police sources, the three words “deny,” “depose” and “defend” were carved into the live rounds and shell casings found outside the Hilton Hotel.
Several of the bullets were each inscribed with one of the three words.
The words are similar to the book Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claim and What You Can Do About It by Rutgers Law School Jay Feinman which offers a scathing analysis of the U.S. insurance industry.
