Brian Thompson, 50, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot on December 4, 2024, near the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
Surveillance footage showed the gunman firing multiple times before fleeing on foot and switching to a rental bike.
Declared dead at Mount Sinai West Hospital, police labeled the attack a “targeted act.”
Thompson’s wife revealed he had received threats, but the motive is unknown. A $10,000 reward is offered for information as investigations continue.
Police have video of the suspect in uptown Manhattan prior to the shooting
From CNN’s John Miller
Police have video of the suspect early in the morning, prior to the shooting, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side carrying what appears to be a battery for an electric bike, according to law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation.
Investigators believe that the suspect may have taken a subway from the Upper West Side to Midtown. They are also looking into whether he had an electric bike pre-positioned in that area.
Police are still searching for the person who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as he walked Wednesday morning to a hotel hosting his company’s annual investor conference.
Here’s what we know so far:
At 6:17 a.m. the suspect was at a Starbucks on Sixth Avenue, near the hotel, a law enforcement source said, as seen in images released by the NYPD. The photos showed him wearing a hooded jacket with his face mostly covered. He was carrying a backpack.
Before the shooting, the gunman was “lying in wait” for several minutes, NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Surveillance video shows the shooter come out from behind a car when Thompson arrives.
At 6:44 a.m. Thompson walked toward the New York Hilton Hotel after leaving his hotel across the street, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. The gunman came up behind Thompson and shot him in the back. “The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again,” Kenny said.
At 6:46 a.m., officers responded to a 911 call of a person shot, according to Kenny.
At 6:48 a.m., officers arrived and found Thompson on the sidewalk in front of the hotel with gunshot wounds to his back and leg. He was taken to the hospital by EMS.
Immediately after the shooting, the suspected gunman fled “northbound into an alleyway between 54th Street and 55th Street,” walked west on Avenue of the Americas, and eventually got onto an electric bike and rode toward Central Park. Kenny said the bike had a GPS system and police are working on gathering more details from the company.
Also at 6:48 a.m., the same time officers arrived at the hotel, Kenny said police have the suspect riding the bike into Central Park.
At 7:12 a.m., Thompson was pronounced dead at the hospital, Kenny said.
What else we know about the gun: The suspected shooter was using what appeared to be a silencer on the gun, a law enforcement official said. Police recovered “three live 9mm rounds and three discharged 9mm shell casings” from the scene, according to Kenny.
Public call for information: Police are encouraging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward. NYPD Crime Stoppers has announced a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person.
Reaction: Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, described her husband’s death as “senseless” in a statement obtained by CNN. UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, called Thompson a “highly respected colleague and friend.”
Threats: The motive remains unclear, but Paulette Thompson told NBC News “there had been some threats” against her husband. Separately, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that there were concerning threats against UnitedHealth Group. Thompson’s name was not specifically mentioned, but the threats did talk about going after high-level executives.
Security: Thompson was named chief executive officer for UnitedHealthcare in April 2021. UnitedHealthcare is part of UnitedHealth Group, America’s largest insurance company. A source familiar with the company’s security said the entire leadership team at UnitedHealth Group — including Thompson — is supported by an in-house security team. The team was supporting the leadership at today’s event.