Police in New York City are searching for the gunman who killed the chief executive of America’s biggest health insurance provider outside a Manhattan hotel on Wednesday.
Brian Thompson, 50, was the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare – the fourth-largest public company in the United States.
He was targeted by what experts claim is a “seasoned, professional killer”, who shot him as he was walking into the hotel where his company was holding an investors’ conference.
What happened?
The shooting happened at 6.45am on Wednesday – just before sunrise.
Brian Thompson was in New York City for UnitedHealthcare’s annual investors conference, which was due to start at 8am.
As he walked towards the entrance of the Hilton hotel on Sixth Avenue, CCTV footage shows a gunman emerging from two parked cars behind him.
A map shows the scene of the shooting outside the Hilton hotel
Pic: Reuters
The suspect draws his weapon and fires at least three times at close range – around 15ft (4.6m) away from him on the pavement.
Mr Thompson is shot in the back and the calf and falls to the ground.
The weapon, believed to have been fitted with a 9mm silencer, appears to jam, at which point the shooter fixes the problem and fires again.
CCTV shows the suspect firing his weapon. Pic: NYPD/Reuters
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There was at least one bystander present, but the gunman does not approach them, instead crossing the street and disappearing down an alleyway on the other side of the road.
Wanted posters show CCTV pictures of him on an electric bike, which police say he fled the scene on and was last seen riding in nearby Central Park.
CCTV shows the suspect fleeing on an e-bike. Pic: NYPD/Reuters
Emergency services later arrived at the scene, which is near the Rockefeller Center, where the famous annual Christmas lights switch-on took place hours after.
The UnitedHealthcare conference started on time as planned – but an hour later the chief executive of the firm’s wider group Andrew Whitty appeared on stage to say it was being cancelled.
Police officers guard the crime scene outside the Hilton hotel on Sixth Avenue. Pic: Reuters
Who was Brian Thompson?
Brian Thompson joined UnitedHealthcare from an accountancy firm in 2004 and was named chief executive officer in April 2021. He previously served as chief executive of the firm’s government programmes business.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the US and manages insurance for employers and state and federally-funded programmes.
It is the fourth largest public company in the country – behind Walmart, Amazon, and Apple.
Brian Thompson. Pic: UnitedHealth Group/AP
He lived in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is around a 20-minute drive from the company headquarters.
He studied at the University of Iowa – and was married with two children.
His wife Paulette Thompson told NBC News that he had said “there were some people that had been threatening him” but gave no further details.
The police chief of the suburb where Mr Thompson lived, Eric Werner, said his department had received no reports of threats towards him.
His sister-in-law Elena Reveiz, told the New York Times: “He was a good person and I am so sad.”
UnitedHealthcare described him in its statement as a “highly respected colleague” and a “friend to all who worked with him”.
Mr Thompson’s wife said he had been receiving threats. Pic: UnitedHealthcare/AP
What do we know about the suspect?
Police officials are describing the shooting as a “premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack” and “not a random act of violence”.
New York police commissioner Jessica Tisch said the killer appeared to have been “lying in wait for several minutes” for Mr Thompson to approach the hotel.
The 911 call describes him as around 5ft 10in, wearing all black, his face covered by a mask, and carrying a grey backpack.
Pic: NYPD
Pic: NYPD
Former FBI special agent Terry Rankhorn told Sky News his behaviour showed he was “clearly a seasoned, professional killer”.
“He paces his target. He doesn’t run up, like an inexperienced, emotional, amateur killer. He draws his weapon and takes careful aim,” he said.
Pic: NYPD
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Mr Rankhorn said the gun is likely to have malfunctioned due to the mismatch between the 9mm silencer used and what was likely subsonic ammunition.
“The ill-fitted suppressor on the weapon can cause a malfunction,” he said. “But he knew exactly how to deal with it.”
Bullets on the pavement at the scene of the crime. Pic: AP
Shell casings were found at the scene. Pic: Reuters
Mr Rankhorn said it is also noteworthy that the suspect spotted a bystander and was unfazed by them.
“He evaluates them to see if they’re any threat to him… determines they’re just trying to flee the scene, and returns focus to his target,” he said.
Crime scene investigators found several 9mm shell casings outside the hotel – and a mobile phone in the alleyway the gunman fled through.
The scene after Brian Thompson was fatally shot in New York. Pic: AP
Pic: Reuters
They also searched Mr Thompson’s hotel room, interviewed his colleagues, and scoured his social media.
Mr Rankin told Sky News any motive is “purely speculation” at this early stage. But he adds that possibilities include Mr Thompson being involved in “white collar crime” whereby confederates may have feared him going to the police, or an “insider stock trading scandal”.
Police have given no indication of the gunman’s motive so far. They are offering a $10,000 (£7,860) reward for information.
