Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare was shot and killed Wednesday morning outside a hotel in New York, police said. A manhunt is underway to find the shooter, who fled the scene cycling in Central Park.
Here’s what we know so far.
Shooting appears to be targeted attack
Thompson, 50, was shot in the back and leg around 6:45 a.m. ET while outside the Hilton Midtown hotel in a busy Manhattan neighborhood. Police said they believe this was not a random attack and that Thompson was targeted. Authorities are looking for a motive.
“We are deeply saddened by this morning’s events in the area and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy,” a hotel spokesperson said in a statement.
Investigators have video of the shooting in which the gunman appeared to wait for Thompson for several minutes before shooting, New York City Police Superintendent said. Jessica painting said during a briefing. The shooter arrived on foot at the scene of the shooting about five minutes before Thompson arrived.
The suspect approached Thompson from behind and fired at least twice, hitting him in the back and right calf, according to the police commissioner. The shooter used a silencer, a device that acts like a muzzle to reduce the sound of a gunshot. The video shows the suspect first firing his gun and moving toward Thompson, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. The gun appeared to be malfunctioning, but the shooter cleared the jam fairly quickly before firing again. The CEO was not robbed.
“I want to be clear. Right now, all indications are that this was a premeditated, planned and targeted attack,” Tisch said.
The commissioner said the shooter ignored several bystanders while apparently lying in wait for Thompson. Another person is also seen in the security footage standing against the side of the building between the shooter and Thompson, but just outside the line of fire. The shooter does not appear to move from his position facing Thompson as the person, apparently realizing there has been a shooting, looks up from his phone and hurriedly walks away.
Police did not respond directly when asked whether Thompson had known enemies before his death or whether he had been blamed for a beneficiary’s lack of health insurance coverage through UnitedHealthcare – since this latest issue . led to protests in Minnesotawhere the company’s headquarters is located and where Thompson lived, during the summer. They said investigators were “looking at everything,” including the executive’s social media, and interviewing his colleagues and family members to determine what circumstances may have led to the incident. The NYPD is also in contact with law enforcement in Minnesota.
The shooting occurred before an investor conference that UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, was scheduled to host Wednesday morning at the Hilton, according to a spokesperson for the subsidiary. Thompson had worked for UnitedHealthcare since 2004 and has been its CEO since 2021.
Thompson was not a guest of the Hilton hotel, Tisch said. He was staying at the Marriott across the street and was headed to the Hilton Wednesday morning for the conference, which was scheduled to start at 8 a.m. Kenny said police contacted Thompson’s co-workers for advice on why he was leaving early. meeting, but suggested the CEO may have intended to help organize the event, which UnitedHealthcare canceled after the shooting.
A senior NYPD official told CBS News that the shooter arrived at the scene of the shooting just minutes before Thompson indicated he knew where the CEO was staying and when he would arrive at the conference.
Officers who responded to the 911 call reporting the shooting found Thompson unresponsive and unresponsive when they arrived, New York City police said. Emergency medical services personnel transported him to nearby Mount Sinai West, but Thompson succumbed to his injuries. He was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the NYPD.
At the scene, police recovered three live bullets and three discharged cartridge cases.
The suspect fled towards Central Park
After the shooting, the suspect fled on foot down an alley and got on an electric Citi bike that he rode to Central Park, authorities said during Wednesday’s briefing. A cell phone was found in the alley and authorities are forensically analyzing it to see if it is linked to the shooter.
Police said they were working with Citi Bike to see if the GPS feature on its e-bikes could help them locate the suspect’s route. A spokesperson for Lyft, which owns and operates Citi Bike, said the company was “ready to assist” in the investigation.
Police have not identified the suspect
The suspect was still at large as of midday Wednesday. Police sources described him as a white man, wearing a beige jacket, a black mask and black and white sneakers. He was also carrying a gray backpack.
Police sources said that several hours after the shooting, officers continued to analyze surveillance footage and comb the area for additional video in an effort to find the shooter. UnitedHealthcare investigators and security were also reviewing records for previous threats, or records of disgruntled or recently fired workers, as they tried to piece together a possible motive, a law enforcement source said.
“We will not rest until we arrest and apprehend the shooter in this case,” Tisch said.
A witness said he was inside his car when he heard the gunshot, CBS News New York reported. The witness recalled seeing a man running away with a gun in his hand, according to the station.
“I was looking at my phone and I heard the gunshot,” the witness told CBS News New York. “I was shocked, it’s the first time I saw a crime right in front of me. Now I’m afraid he might shoot me too.”
Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to contact the NYPD through its Crime Stoppers hotline. They can also report tips anonymously online. The police department is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.
Thompson’s long history at UnitedHealth Group
Thompson was named CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, in April 2021. But he was a veteran employee of the company who held several leadership positions during his decades-long tenure. Prior to this latest leadership role, he served as CEO of the company’s government programs, such as Medicare and retirement initiatives, in addition to community and state programs that provide Medicaid and other health coverage to individuals. million people.
When he was named to lead UnitedHealthcare in 2021, the company said in its announcement that Thompson would be responsible for driving “continued growth across the company’s global benefits, employer, individual, specialized and governmental, while continuing the company’s emphasis on access to high-level services. quality and affordable health care.
UnitedHealth Group said Wednesday the company was “deeply saddened and shocked” by Thompson’s death.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the statement said. “We are working closely with the NYPD and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our thoughts are with Brian’s family and all his loved ones.”
Thompson’s total compensation was $10.2 million in 2023, according to UnitedHealth Group’s 2024 proxy statement. His earnings topped $9.8 million in 2022 and $9.6 million in 2021, according to the society.
Recent layoffs at UnitedHealth Group
Optum, another UnitedHealth Group subsidiary focused on patient services, is currently undergoing a round of layoffs, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. The company announced hundreds of job cuts in September in New Jersey, California and Ohio, the bulk of which were expected to take effect in December. State laws in all three places required the employer to disclose the reductions, so the layoffs could theoretically have been more widespread but unreported. CBS News has contacted UnitedHealth Group for more information.
Pat Milton and John Doyle contributed to this article.
