Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, one of the the US’s largest health insurers, was fatally shot in the chest on Wednesday in midtown Manhattan by an unidentified man.
Here’s everything we know about the shooting:
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1. Thompson was 50 years old, lived in Minnesota, and had been CEO since 2021
Brian Thompson lived in Minnesota, but had been in New York for the annual UnitedHealthcare investor conference taking place on Wednesday morning.
He joined UnitedHealth Group in 2004 and had been the chief executive of Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare since April 2021.
Before this role, he served as CEO of UnitedHealthcare government programs including Medicare and retirement and community and state. Before leading government programs, Thompson served as CEO of UnitedHealthcare Medicare and retirement.
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2. Thompson was specifically targeted
New York’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, called the shooting a “brazen targeted attack” that “does not appear to be a random act of violence”.
“I want to be clear at this time, every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned targeted attack,” she said.
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3. Thompson’s wife has said that he had been receiving threats
In a phone call to NBC News, Paulette Thompson said: “There had been some threats. Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
While she did not elaborate on “lack of coverage” to the network, the comment comes in the wake of backlash that UnitedHealthcare has experienced about their coverage. Earlier this year, protesters were arrested outside the company’s headquarters in Minnesota who were reportedly there in an effort to shed light on the organization’s alleged “pattern of improper coverage denials”.
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4. The suspected shooter has not been identified and was last seen entering Central Park
Police confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday that the suspect appears to be a light-skinned male, wearing a black face mask, black-and-white sneakers, a light-brown or cream-colored jacket, and a distinctive gray backpack.
He fled the scene on foot at first and then got on an ebike. He was last seen entering Central Park on Central Drive before 7am.
Police noted that they were working to gather information about the e-bike, specifically its GPS tracker.
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5. The shooter was “proficient” in firearms
Video footage of the shooting showed that the suspect was “proficient in firearms” and able to clear a jam in his gun in the midst of the attack, police said.
Police were not able to determine if a silencer was used from the glimpse of video that they currently have access to.
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6. A cellphone was found near the scene
Officers recovered a cellphone near the scene of the shooting and are conducting forensic analysis to see if it is connected to either the victim or the suspect.
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7. Police are offering up to $10,000 to anyone with information regarding Thompson’s death
Police are searching for the gunman and offering up to $10,000 to anyone with information regarding Thompson’s death, as stated on a newly released flyer with two surveillance photos.
Jeffrey Maddrey, the chief of department, encouraged New Yorkers to go about their daily business, but to be alert in the Wednesday morning press conference. Maddrey also noted that the shooting would not impact the Rockefeller Center tree lighting scheduled for Wednesday evening, but added that they will have a “massive” police presence including a plainclothes detail.