The gunman behind Wednesday's killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO reportedly stopped at a store located around the corner from the midtown hotel where he shot the insurance executive, according to newly released photos from the NYPD.
Police shared surveillance images of the hooded shooter inside a store near West 54th Street and 6th Avenue early Wednesday, around the corner from the New York Hilton Midtown hotel where Brian Thompson was gunned down.
The man appears to be wearing the same dark colored jacket, pants and face covering seen in shocking video of the brazen sidewalk killing.
That video, reviewed by investigators, shows the shooter emerging from behind a parked car, stopping and pointing a gun at Thompson’s back, holding it with two hands and firing multiple times from several feet away. The suspect continues firing, interrupted by a brief gun jam, as Thompson stumbles forward and falls to the sidewalk. The shooter is then seen walking past Thompson and out of the frame.
“From watching the video, it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
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Thompson was shot around 6:45 a.m. as he walked to the Hilton Midtown from where he was staying at a nearby hotel. UnitedHealth Group was set to hold an investor day at the Hilton on Wednesday but canceled it after reports of the shooting, CNBC reports.
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Thompson, 50, was shot in the back and calf outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel in what police officials described as a "premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack" against the insurance giant CEO.
The shooter appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching Thompson from behind and opening fire, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Police had not yet established a motive.
“Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” Tisch said, adding that the shooting "does not appear to be a random act of violence.”
The suspect, dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and carrying a distinct gray backpack, then fled on foot down an alleyway before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away. The shooter was at large, sparking a search that included police drones, helicopters and dogs.
Police issued a poster showing a surveillance image of the suspect pointing what appeared to be a gun and another image that appeared to show the same person on a bicycle. Police offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cellphone from the alleyway through which the suspect fled. They were also searching Thompson's hotel room and interviewing his UnitedHealthcare colleagues, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare," the insurer's parent company, UnitedHealth Group, said in a statement.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the company said. "We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”
Thompson has served as UnitedHealthcare CEO for more than three years having been named to the top job in April 2021, according to his official bio. Thompson had been with UnitedHealthcare since 2004.
Police said the motive for the shooting remains unknown.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the case and police are asking for the public's help in solving the case. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
