Police are still searching for the gunman who killed the head of a major American health insurance company in New York on Wednesday in what the city’s top officer described as a “brazen targeted attack.”
Brian Thompson, head of UnitedHealthcare, was shot dead as he walked into the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan just before 6:45 a.m. ET. Police said the attacker had been waiting for Thompson, who was heading to the hotel for the company’s annual investors conference.
“This does not appear to be a random act of violence,” New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference on Wednesday.
“At this time, every indication is this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack.”
The police department’s chief of detectives, Joseph Kenny, said the shooter got to the hotel about five minutes before Thompson, who had been staying in another hotel across the street. Standing along the building’s edge, the gunman let several people pass by unharmed before opening fire on the businessman.
A video obtained by CNN shows an assailant pointing a gun at UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson on a sidewalk in New York City on Wednesday. Thompson died after what police said seemed to be a ‘targeted’ shooting.
Security footage obtained by CBC News showed the gun malfunctioned, but the shooter cleared the jam. The gunman also ignored a witness in the video, who escaped from just a metre or two away.
“Based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear that the victim was specifically targeted, but at this point, we do not know why,” Kenny said.
The assailant escaped on foot before switching to an electric Citi Bike. They were last seen on video riding into Central Park at 6:48 a.m., the officer said.
Thompson, 50, was pronounced dead at Roosevelt Hospital at 7:12 a.m.
Kenny said the executive did not appear to have a security detail and did not seem to realize he was in danger. The footage of the shooting does not have sound, he said, so officers didn’t yet know whether the shooter said anything to him.
‘Friend to all’
UnitedHealth is the largest U.S. health insurer, providing benefits to tens of millions of Americans, who pay more for health care than those in any other country.
The company has been grappling with the fallout from a massive data hack of its Change Healthcare unit that provides technology for U.S. health providers, disrupting medical care for patients and reimbursement to doctors for months.
New York City police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Brian Thompson, 50, was shot dead in what appears to be ‘a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack’ in Manhattan.
UnitedHealth Group chief executive Andrew Witty took the stage about one hour after the conference started Wednesday and announced the rest of the program would be cancelled.
“We’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members, and as a result, I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today,” he said.
Thompson, who lived in Minnesota, had been in the city since Monday. He had served as CEO for more than three years and started with the company since 2004.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time,” it read.
“Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”
Police said they are still working to determine a motive.
The Hilton is in a bustling part of Manhattan, a short walk from tourist sites such as the Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller Center and often dense with tourists and office workers on weekday mornings.
Police said the shooting would not affect the annual Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center, a few blocks from the Hilton, which draws large crowds and is scheduled to take place in a televised event on Wednesday evening.
Part of the block where the shooting took place was cordoned off with police tape, with a large contingent of police officers at the scene.
Officers are also working with Citi Bike to track the GPS-enabled bicycle the shooter used and analyze a cellphone found in a nearby alley.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.”
“This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health-care community in Minnesota,” Walz wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. and manages health insurance coverage for employers, as well as Medicaid programs funded by the state and federal governments.