WATCH: United Healthcare CEO shot and killed in ‘brazen, targeted attack,’ New York City police say

NEW YORK (AP) — A gunman killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on Wednesday in a “brazen, focused assault” exterior a Manhattan lodge the place the well being insurer was holding its investor convention, police mentioned, setting off an enormous seek for the fleeing assailant hours earlier than the annual Rockefeller Heart Christmas tree lighting close by.

Brian Thompson, 50, was shot round 6:45 a.m. as he walked alone to the New York Hilton Midtown from a close-by lodge, police mentioned. The shooter gave the impression to be “mendacity in look forward to a number of minutes” earlier than approaching Thompson from behind and opening hearth, New York Metropolis Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch mentioned. Police had not but established a motive.

Watch New York Metropolis officers communicate on the killing within the participant above.

“Many individuals handed the suspect, however he appeared to attend for his meant goal,” Tisch mentioned, including that the taking pictures “doesn’t look like a random act of violence.”

Surveillance video reviewed by investigators reveals somebody rising from behind a parked automotive, pointing a gun at Thompson’s again, then firing a number of instances from a number of toes away. The gunman continues firing, interrupted by a quick gun jam, as Thompson stumbles ahead and falls to the sidewalk. He then walks previous Thompson and out of the body.

“From watching the video, it does appear that he’s proficient in using firearms as he was capable of clear the malfunctions fairly shortly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny mentioned.

Thompson was shot at the least as soon as within the again and as soon as within the calf, Tisch mentioned.

READ MORE: United Healthcare’s CEO saved a low public profile earlier than he was killed in New York assault

The shooter, who wore a jacket, face masks and enormous backpack, fled by Midtown on foot earlier than pedaling an electrical bike into Central Park a number of blocks away, police mentioned. The assailant remained at massive Wednesday afternoon, sparking a search that included police drones, helicopters and canines.

“Brian was a extremely revered colleague and good friend to all who labored with him,” the insurer’s Minnetonka, Minnesota-based father or mother firm, UnitedHealth Group Inc., mentioned in an announcement. “We’re working carefully with the New York Police Division and ask in your endurance and understanding throughout this tough time.”

Police issued a poster exhibiting a surveillance picture of the person pointing what gave the impression to be a gun and one other picture that appeared to indicate the identical particular person on a bicycle. Minutes earlier than the taking pictures, he stopped at a close-by Starbucks, in accordance with extra surveillance pictures launched by police on Wednesday afternoon. They supplied a reward of as much as $10,000 for info resulting in an arrest and conviction.

Thompson’s spouse, Paulette Thompson, advised NBC Information that he advised her “there have been some folks that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have particulars however steered the threats could have concerned points with insurance coverage protection.

Eric Werner, the police chief within the Minneapolis suburb the place Thompson lived, mentioned his division had not obtained any stories of threats in opposition to the chief.

The killing shook part of New York Metropolis that’s usually quiet at that hour, occurring about 4 blocks from the place tens of 1000’s of individuals have been set to collect for Wednesday night time’s tree lighting. Police promised additional safety for the occasion.

The lodge can be a brief stroll from different vacationer websites, together with the Museum of Fashionable Artwork and Radio Metropolis Music Corridor, and is usually dense with workplace staff and guests on weekday mornings. Many safety cameras are close by.

“We’re encouraging New Yorkers to go about their every day lives and their every day enterprise however to be alert,” NYPD Chief of Division Jeffrey Maddrey mentioned.

Investigators recovered a number of 9 mm shell casings from exterior the lodge and a cellphone from the alleyway by which the shooter fled. They have been additionally looking Thompson’s lodge room, interviewing his UnitedHealthcare colleagues and reviewing his social media, Kenny mentioned.

Police initially mentioned the shooter rode into Central Park on a bicycle from town’s bike-share program, CitiBike. However a spokesperson for this system’s operator, Lyft, mentioned police officers knowledgeable the corporate Wednesday afternoon that the bike was not from the CitiBike fleet.

Well being care large UnitedHealth Group was holding its annual assembly with traders to replace Wall Road on the corporate’s path and expectations for the approaching 12 months. The corporate ended the convention early within the wake of Thompson’s demise.

“I’m afraid that we — a few of you might know we’re coping with a really critical medical scenario with one among our workforce members,” an organization official advised attendees, in accordance with a transcript. “And because of this, I’m afraid we’re going to need to bring to an end the occasion as we speak. … I’m certain you’ll perceive.”

Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with the corporate since 2004 and served as CEO for greater than three years.

UnitedHealthcare is the biggest supplier of Medicare Benefit plans within the U.S. and manages medical insurance protection for employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid packages.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz posted on the social platform X that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s household and the UnitedHealthcare workforce.”

“That is horrifying information and a horrible loss for the enterprise and well being care group in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote.

Related Press writers Tom Murphy in Indianapolis, Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, contributed to this story.