Manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer enters third day

UnitedHealth Group released a statement saying their “hearts are broken” and have been “touched by the overwhelming outpouring of kindness and support” since CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in Manhattan early Wednesday.

The masked gunman appeared to be waiting outside the Hilton Hotel in what police called a “premeditated” attack. The shooter arrived on scene about five minutes before Thompson before shooting the victim in the chest around 6:40 a.m., police said.

Video captured the moment the shooter walked up behind the CEO, pointed his gun at him and fired. A witness ran away as Thompson tripped and fell to the ground. The gunman then closed in on Thompson, shooting several times before fleeing.

“Many patients, consumers, healthcare professionals, associations, government representatives and other caring individuals took the time to reach out. We are grateful, even as we grieve,” UnitedHealth Group, parent company of the division of which Thompson was CEO – UnitedHealthcare – said in its latest statement. “Our priorities are, above all, supporting Brian’s family; ensure the safety of our employees; and work with law enforcement to bring the perpetrator to justice.

“At UnitedHealth Group, we will continue to be there for those who depend on us for their health care,” the statement continued. “We ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy as they grieve the loss of their husband, father, brother and friend. »

The New York Police Department released new photos of the suspect, seen without a mask, on Thursday while asking for the public’s help in identifying him. The footage was taken from a surveillance camera at the HI New York City hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Police obtained a search warrant after believing the suspect was staying there, sources told ABC News.

Police were able to find an image of the suspect without his mask because he was flirting with the woman who hosted him at the hostel, police sources told ABC News.

As he stood at the check-in counter, sources said the woman asked to see his smile. The suspected shooter complied, lowering his mask long enough for the surveillance camera to capture his face.

The suspected shooter checked into the inn using a New Jersey license that was not his, law enforcement sources told ABC News. Detectives analyzed the name and found it did not resemble any known photos of the suspect or other evidence collected so far, the sources said.

The recording date was November 30, but authorities believe the suspected shooter was in the city before that date.

Law enforcement sources told ABC News he arrived last month from Atlanta, Georgia. He took a Greyhound bus to the Midtown Port Authority terminal.

Greyhound and the hostel’s parent company, Hostelling International USA, said in a statement that they were “fully cooperating with the New York Police Department” but could not comment further due to the active investigation.

Detectives are currently scouring other hostels and locations on the Upper West Side and beyond, showing the suspect’s photo as they work to identify him, sources said.

They are trying to learn more about the man’s fate between his arrival in New York and the shooting.

Thompson was a longtime executive whose rise at the company came after a stint as a business advisor at global consulting giant PwC, according to his LinkedIn page.

He lived in an ungated neighborhood in Maple Grove, Minn., a Twin Cities suburb about 15 miles from UnitedHealth Group’s Minnetonka headquarters.

After serving in various leadership roles within the company for nearly 20 years, Thompson was appointed to his current role in 2021.

Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, said in a statement that she was “broken” by the “senseless murder.”

“Brian was an incredibly loving, generous and talented man who lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives,” she said. “Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and he will be greatly missed.”