Video showed the gunman arrived outside the Hilton about five minutes before Thompson. He ignored several other people walking by, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters.
When Thompson approached the hotel, the gunman shot him in the back with a pistol and then continued firing, even after his gun appeared to jam.
“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,” Kenny said.
The shooting happened not long before the scheduled investor conference at the Hilton. UnitedHealth Group chief executive Andrew Witty took to the stage about an hour after the event started to announce the rest of the program would be cancelled.
Brian Thompson, in a photo provided by UnitedHealth Group.Credit: AP
“We’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members, and as a result, I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today,” he said.
Police tape blocked off the area on 54th Street outside the Hilton on Wednesday morning, where blue plastic gloves were strewn about, and plastic cups appeared to mark the location of bullet casings.
Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him”. She didn’t have details but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage.
Eric Werner, the police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive.
The suspect fleeing on bike after the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.Credit: AP
The killing shook a part of New York City that is normally quiet at that hour, happening about four blocks from where tens of thousands of people were set to gather for Wednesday night’s Christmas tree lighting. Police promised extra security for the event.
“The police were here in seconds. It’s New York. It’s not normal here at seven in the morning, but it’s pretty scary,” said Christian Diaz, who said he heard the gunfire from the nearby University Club Hotel where he works.
Police issued a poster showing a surveillance image of the man pointing what appeared to be a gun and another image that appeared to show the same person on a bicycle.
Minutes before the shooting, he stopped at a nearby Starbucks, according to additional surveillance photos released by police on Wednesday afternoon. They offered a reward of up to $US10,000 ($15,500) for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, where the company is based, said the state was sending prayers to Thompson’s family and the United Healthcare team.
“This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and healthcare community in Minnesota,” he said in a statement.
Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with UnitedHealth since 2004 and served as chief executive for more than three years.
Thompson was appointed head of the company’s insurance group in April 2021 after working in several departments, according to its website.
“Sometimes you meet a lot of fake people in these corporate environments. He certainly didn’t ever give me the impression of being one of them,” said Antonio Ciaccia, chief executive of healthcare research non-profit 46brooklyn, who knew Thompson.
