A manhunt continues for the masked gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York City hotel as police uncover more evidence that is potentially linked to the suspect of interest.
Investigators uncovered a backpack in Central Park that is believed to have belonged to the suspected shooter late Friday. Police did not open the backpack and immediately sent it to forensics.
The FBI has also joined the investigation, offering a $50,000 reward for information on the suspect that leads to an arrest and conviction.
Police have video of the man entering the Port Authority Bus Terminal after fleeing the scene of the shooting on a bicycle, but no video of him exiting, leading them to believe he left the city, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN.
“We have reason to believe that the person in question has left New York City,” Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on Friday.
The gunman was masked during the shooting and used a fake New Jersey ID to book a room at the HI New York City Hostel, but pulled down the covering during a flirty exchange with a clerk.
Police say he arrived in New York from Atlanta, Georgia on a Greyhound bus last month, checking into his hostel on November 30.
NYC Mayor says ‘net is tightening’ on suspect
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said “the net is tightening” around the man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Adams said law enforcement officials do not want to release the suspect’s name at this time.
“If we do, we are basically giving a tip to the person we are seeking and we do not want to give him an upper hand at all,” Adams said. “Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask. We revealed his face. We’re going to reveal who he is and we’re going to bring him to justice.”
Katie Hawkinson7 December 2024 17:28
ICYMI: Three cryptic words were carved into bullets used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Katie Hawkinson7 December 2024 17:20
Suspect may have used veterinary gun, police say
Police say the man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson may have used a veterinary gun in the Wednesday shooting, according to NYPD Chief Detective Joseph Kenny.
Veterinary guns are larger guns used by farmers to put down animals without making a loud noise.
“It’s meant for close-up killing,” CNN’s Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller said. “It’s meant for vets to kill an animal by shooting it in the head or somewhere, you know, that’s going to be fatal. But it would work the exact same way on humans, very effectively and extraordinarily quietly.”
Katie Hawkinson7 December 2024 17:00
US border patrol on lookout for suspect
Police have briefed US border patrol agents at both borders to keep an eye out for the man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, CNN reports.
Investigators believe the suspect left New York City via bus after they found security footage of him entering Port Authority Bus Terminal, but did not find footage of him leaving.
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information on the suspect.
Katie Hawkinson7 December 2024 16:40
FBI offers $50,000 reward for information on suspect
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now assisting New York police with their search for the man who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday.
The agency is now offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the suspect’s arrest and conviction. The New York Police Department also offered $10,000 for information.
Katie Hawkinson7 December 2024 16:20
Police say they have ‘huge amount of evidence’ on suspect
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told CNN that investigators have a “huge amount of evidence” in their search for the man who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday.
This includes DNA evidence, fingerprints and a “massive camera canvass” of the suspect’s movements, Tisch told the outlet.
However, police say the suspect likely left the city after they recovered footage of him entering Port Authority Bus Terminal on Wednesday but did not find footage of him leaving.
Katie Hawkinson7 December 2024 16:00
ICYMI: Police uncover suspected backpack of gunman who killed UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson
While searching a wooded area at the southern end of the park, police discovered a dark backpack nestled between two boulders, law enforcement officials told CNN. This was the second time police searched the park looking for it.
Ariana Baio7 December 2024 15:40
Meet the folk singer behind a viral song about the killing of Brian Thompson
Joe DeVito, creator behind a viral song about the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, told The Independent’s Richard Hall why he wrote the song — and what he hopes listeners take away from it.
Katie Hawkinson7 December 2024 15:20
When a medical insurance CEO was shot dead, people celebrated his death. What does this tell us about American healthcare?
When UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in Manhattan on Wednesday, his death quickly turned into a larger conversation about the much-reviled industry in which he worked.
Read more from The Independent’s Richard Hall:
Katie Hawkinson7 December 2024 15:00
Watch: NYPD searched Central Park for backpack of gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO
The New York Police Department found the suspect’s backpack in Central Park on Friday.
Watch below as they searched for the key piece of evidence:
Katie Hawkinson7 December 2024 14:40