NYPD detectives arrived in Atlanta on Saturday following a large number of tips related to the as-yet-unidentified suspect wanted in the Wednesday shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York, sources told ABC News.
Atlanta police confirmed the arrival of the New York team but declined to provide further details.
The suspect reportedly arrived in New York on November 24 aboard a Greyhound bus from Atlanta, although it is unclear when he boarded. Sources told ABC News he was spotted on board in Washington, DC.
The masked gunman shot Thompson at point-blank range at 6:44 a.m. on Dec. 4 outside New York’s Hilton Midtown, where Thompson’s company was holding an investor conference. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the attack “brazen” and “targeted.”
Police learned the suspect took a taxi to the Port Authority bus facility on 178th Street and boarded a bus from New York after the shooting, police said .
An undated image of the NYPD document obtained by Reuters on December 5, 2024 shows an individual wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of United Heatcare CEO Brian Thompson at an unknown location.
Nypd/via Reuters
The New York Police Department believes it has made good progress in identifying the shooter, but has not yet done so, sources told ABC News. On Saturday evening, the New York Police Department released new images of the suspected shooter in what appeared to be the back of a taxicab. No further context was given.
The suspect allegedly boarded a bus leaving the city and which made six or seven stops, according to police sources. Investigators followed leads in several states, the sources said.
The FBI is participating in the nationwide manhunt, according to law enforcement sources.
The New York City Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying this person wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of a CEO in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024.
NYPD
Investigators continue to scour New York City — where the suspect reportedly spent 10 days before the shooting — looking for evidence.
New York police recovered a backpack believed to belong to the suspect on Friday evening. The bag contained only two items: a Tommy Hilfiger jacket and Monopoly money, sources familiar with the ongoing investigation told ABC News on Saturday.
On Saturday, officers searched a pond near the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. Police divers were involved in the search for evidence. It’s unclear if officers recovered anything from the water.
Investigators believe they have obtained DNA samples from several pieces of evidence found at or near the crime scene, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Thompson, CEO of major insurance group UnitedHealthcare, was shot at point-blank range in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024.
ABC News
The DNA samples are currently at New York’s chief medical examiner’s office to be run against databases for a possible match – a process that could take several days, the sources said.
Police were also able to extract the fingerprint from a bottle of water the suspect purchased at a Starbucks. The print is smudged, so it is unclear whether it will be helpful in the investigation, sources said.
Police have yet to find the distinctive weapon used in the shooting.
NYPD officers search Central Park for evidence in the CEO shooting on December 6, 2024, in New York.
WABC
“The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues shooting,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. “It appears the gun is malfunctioning, as he clears the jam and starts shooting again.”
The words “deny”, “defend” and “depose” were written on the cartridge cases, according to police sources.
The words on the bullet points echo the title of the 2010 book “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.” Police are aware of the similarity and are investigating whether one of the possible motives is anger at the insurance industry, sources said.
Centene, a major health insurer, said it will virtually host an in-person investor day in New York next week, according to a Friday statement citing Thompson’s killing.
A backpack recovered by police in Central Park during the investigation into the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 6, 2024.
Obtained by ABC News
“All of us at Centene are deeply saddened by the passing of Brian Thompson and want to express our support for everyone affected,” said Sarah M. London, Centene’s chief executive officer.
“He was a person with a deep sense of empathy and a real passion for improving access to care,” London added. “Our thoughts are with his family and colleagues during this difficult time.”
