Brian Thompson, director of the leading health insurer in the United States, UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed on Wednesday, December 4, in the center of Manhattan in New York. Aged 50, he was shot dead around 7 a.m. local time (1 p.m. in Paris), near a hotel in the center of the island.
This is a “brazen and targeted attack”declared Jessica Tisch, police chief of the city of New York, quoted by the American news agency Associated Press. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said it was a “horrific, targeted shooting”. Brian Thompson was taken to hospital but did not survive his injuries.
According to the New York police, Mr. Thompson was to speak at a financial conference, and was killed near the Hilton hotel in Midtown by a person who fled on foot, before taking a bicycle and to head towards Central Park. Although this person is actively sought, no arrests have yet been made. Authorities say they have not identified a motive at this time.
“It appears to be a clearly targeted action by an individual and we will apprehend it”said New York Mayor Eric Adams. A call for witnesses was published by the New York police on social networks.
Brian Thompson was part of parent company UnitedHealth Group for twenty years and has led its health arm UnitedHealthcare since 2021. It insures 51 million people and works with government programs such as Medicare, the federal health insurance system for seniors. UnitedHealth Group has 440,000 employees and achieves $371 billion (€352 billion) in annual revenue. Contacted by Agence France-Presse, the communications services of the insurance group and its health subsidiary have not yet responded.
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