Police hunt for gunman after UnitedHealthcare CEO killed in New York City

Police have video of the suspect early in the morning, prior to the shooting, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side carrying what appears to be a battery for an electric bike, according to law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation.

Investigators believe that the suspect may have taken a subway from the Upper West Side to Midtown. They are also looking into whether he had an electric bike pre-positioned in that area.

Police officials described some of the clues they are working with as they try to put a name and a face to the person behind the mask who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan on Wednesday morning.

Investigators, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing nature of the investigation, told CNN that as the suspect crossed the street after the shooting, he may have dropped vital clues.

Detectives believe a phone found in the alley the gunman ran through may have belonged to the shooter. Police also found a bottle of water that detectives believe the gunman purchased just minutes before the shooting at a Starbucks around the corner.

One senior police official said video from the Starbucks shows the man, barely visible under a black hood and wearing a surgical mask, buying two power bars and a bottle of water.

The phone could yield fingerprints or DNA, and if police technicians can unlock the phone, it may offer the suspects identity. Even if it is a “burner phone” it could give investigators more information about communications and searches before the shooting.

The water bottle may also offer DNA, according to investigators. Two pieces of evidence police are still searching for are the gun and the bicycle the gunman used to flee.

Detectives believe the suspect in the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO operated slowly, deliberately, and in a way that suggested he was experienced marksman, according to police officials speaking to CNN on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.

Surveillance video shows the gunman as he leveled his semi-automatic pistol and fired at his target from 20 feet away. The gunman shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the back and the leg, police said previously.

Even as his gun jammed three times, the shooter calmly and quickly cleared the jams and continued firing as he walked closer to his target.

Firearms experts who have studied the video say it appears that the gun malfunctioned with each shot. “Jamming” refers to the gun not loading another bullet into the chamber after its fired. The gunman is seeing racking the slide back to clear the “jam” and load another round.

He reacts in the way that someone with firearms training from law enforcement or the military would be trained to react to such an issue. The gun appears to be fitted with a silencer, which can cause weapons to malfunction and jam unless they are installed with specific modifications.

The e-bike used by the suspect who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was not a Citi Bike, a law enforcement official tells CNN.

As CNN previously reported, the suspect fled — first on foot, then on an e-bike — and was last seen in Central Park early this morning, according to police.

Some background: Earlier Wednesday, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said the suspect fled on a Citi Bike that had a GPS system. “We’re still tracking video. The last we see with him on that bike is in Central Park,” he said at a news conference. “There are GPS on those bikes. We’ll be working with the company.”

Police are still searching for the person who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as he walked Wednesday morning to a hotel hosting his company’s annual investor conference.

Here’s what we know so far:

What else we know about the gun: The suspected shooter was using what appeared to be a silencer on the gun, a law enforcement official said. Police recovered “three live 9mm rounds and three discharged 9mm shell casings” from the scene, according to Kenny.

Public call for information: Police are encouraging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward. NYPD Crime Stoppers has announced a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person.

Reaction: Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, described her husband’s death as “senseless” in a statement obtained by CNN. UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, called Thompson a “highly respected colleague and friend.”

Threats: The motive remains unclear, but Paulette Thompson told NBC News “there had been some threats” against her husband. Separately, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that there were concerning threats against UnitedHealth Group. Thompson’s name was not specifically mentioned, but the threats did talk about going after high-level executives.

Security: Thompson was named chief executive officer for UnitedHealthcare in April 2021. UnitedHealthcare is part of UnitedHealth Group, America’s largest insurance company. A source familiar with the company’s security said the entire leadership team at UnitedHealth Group — including Thompson — is supported by an in-house security team. The team was supporting the leadership at today’s event.

A source with knowledge of the investigation into the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson said that there were concerning threats against UnitedHealth Group. The source said the company was aware of these threats.

Thompson’s name was not specifically mentioned, but the threats did talk about going after high-level executives at the company.

An image of the suspect released by the NYPD.

The New York Police Department released more photos of the suspect in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday.

The images show the suspect at a nearby Starbucks on Sixth Avenue. The photos were taken around 6:17 a.m., according to a law enforcement official.

The shooting happened at around 6:44 a.m. ET, according to a timeline released earlier by the NYPD.

An image of the suspect released by the NYPD.

This post was updated with more details about the photos.

Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, who was fatally shot in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday in what New York police called a “brazen, targeted attack,” was a longtime leader in corporate America, a model student and star high school athlete – and he had been caught up in a high-profile insider trading lawsuit this year.

Thompson, 50, lived in Minnesota and was visiting New York for UnitedHealthcare’s annual investors conference before he was killed.

Here’s what to know:

Career: Thompson was appointed chief executive of UnitedHealthcare in 2021 and had been at the company since 2004. Prior to being named chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, Thompson worked as CEO of the company’s government programs business, which includes its Medicare and retirement businesses. UnitedHealthcare is part of UnitedHealth Group, America’s largest insurance company.

Education: Thompson graduated from the University of Iowa in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in accounting. He graduated as valedictorian, according to his LinkedIn. He was a Collegiate Scholar, Carver Scholar, State of Iowa Scholar and Faculty Scholar. Thompson graduated from South Hamilton High School in Jewell, Iowa, in 1993.

Allegations of fraud: Thompson in May was sued for alleged fraud and illegal insider trading. The Hollywood Firefighters’ Pension Fund filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group, CEO Andrew Witty, Executive Chairman Stephen Hemsley and Thompson, alleging the executives schemed to inflate the company’s stock by failing to disclose a US Justice Department antitrust investigation into the company. The lawsuit claimed Thompson knew about the investigation as early as October 2023 and sold 31% of his company shares, making a $15 million profit, 11 days before the Wall Street Journal reported the probe, sending UnitedHealth’s stock sinking 5%.

CNN’s Kara Scannell contributed to this report.

Read more here about Thompson

The person who shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fled on an electric Citi Bike toward Central Park after the shooting, police say.

The shooting happened outside the New York Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning.

Here’s what that looks like:

CNN obtained surveillance video showing the moment when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in midtown Manhattan in an apparent “brazen, targeted attack,” according to police.

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CNN obtains video of fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO

02:30 - Source: CNN

Investigators are likely analyzing key pieces of evidence related to the weapon used to kill the CEO of UnitedHealthcare on Wednesday morning.

Shell casings and the bullets left behind at the scene can give investigators crucial information, CNN security correspondent Josh Campbell said.

CEO Brian Thompson was walking to the Midtown hotel when the gunman approached from behind and shot him at least once in the back and once in the right calf, NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch said earlier Wednesday. Police said the shooter fired multiple shots, even unjamming the gun at one point, before firing again.

In addition to NYPD, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) might also be assisting with identifying the markings on the casings and the bullets, Campbell said.

Officials then run their findings through a database to determine if it is a firearm that was used in a past crime, Campbell said. That is something investigators will want to rule out.

He said what police know so far about how this person knew when to arrive to the hotel and how to flee the scene indicates that the shooting was planned out — but “one thing that that shooter cannot control is what that firearm left behind.”

How it works: The AFT uses specialized equipment to produce high resolution, 3D images of the headstamp and extraction marks on a shell casings.

The headstamp refers to the indentation a gun’s firing pin leaves on the end of a shell casing as a bullet is fired. Extraction marks are the result of metal-on-metal friction as a gun ejects an empty ammunition cartridge after the trigger is pressed.

The examiner then uploads the digital images into the ATF database and another examiner begins comparing the images to other shell casings recovered from crime scenes. If a computer algorithm identifies a potential match, the examiner will overlay the two images to further compare each shell casing’s microscopic features, ATF special agent Sam Ward told CNN previously.

This post was updated with background on how the AFT examines casings.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during an event in St. Paul, Minnesota, on December 4.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the killing of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare — a Minnesota-based company — “a horrible tragedy” on Wednesday as police search for the person responsible.

Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside a Manhattan hotel this morning as he was walking into UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference being held in the ballroom.

“I knew Brian,” Walz said, calling the fatal shooting “tragic,” after taking questions from reporters following a presentation of the state budget forecast.

“Figure out what was behind this and follow through, making sure someone’s brought to justice,” he added.

UnitedHealthcare Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, is based in Minnetonka. It is Minnesota’s 10th largest employer, with about 19,000 workers in the state, according to employment data.

Walz also offered his “deep condolences to the Thompson family” and to employees of the company. He said state law enforcement is working with federal partners to assist the investigation.

Walz earlier called Thompson’s death “a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota.”

Other reactions: Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said in a post on X Wednesday morning that the shooting was a “horrifying and shocking act of violence.”

Rep. Dean Phillips, of Minnesota’s 3rd District, wrote that he was “horrified by the assassination of my constituent, Brian Thompson, this morning in NYC and have his family in my prayers.”

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s wife described her husband’s death as “senseless” in a statement obtained by CNN.

“We are shattered to hear about the senseless killing of our beloved Brian,” Paulette Thompson said.

Members of the New York police crime scene unit pick up cups marking the spots where bullets lie as they investigate the scene outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday in New York.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot Wednesday outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel, where his company’s annual investors’ conference was scheduled to take place.

He was walking toward the hotel more than an hour before the conference’s scheduled start time – and was gunned down during his brief commute, the New York Police Department said.

The NPYD later released images of the suspect before the shooting. The photos showed him at a nearby Starbucks on 6th Avenue at 6:17 a.m., according to law enforcement sources.

Here’s a timeline, according to the police department:

“The shooter arrived at the location on foot about five minutes prior to the victim’s arrival. He stands along the building line as numerous other people and pedestrians pass him by,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said, citing preliminary information and surveillance video.

“At 6:44 a.m., the victim is walking alone towards the Hilton after exiting his hotel across the street. We believe the victim was headed to the Hilton hotel to attend the (UnitedHealthcare) investors’ conference that was scheduled to start at 8 a.m.,” Kenny said.

The gunman “approaches the victim from behind and shoots him in the back,” the chief said. “The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again.”

“At 6:46 a.m., patrol officers from Midtown North Precinct responded to a 911 call of a person shot in front of the Hilton hotel located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. This is between West 53rd Street and West 54th Street,” the chief said.

“At 6:48 a.m., officers arrived and find the victim, Brian R. Thompson, a 50-year-old male, on the sidewalk in front of the Hilton with gunshot wounds to his back and leg. Mr. Thompson was removed by EMS to Roosevelt Hospital (now known as Mount Sinai West), where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m.”

After killing Thompson, the gunman fled “northbound into an alleyway between 54th Street and 55th Street,” Kenny said.

“Once at West 55th Street, the shooter continues to walk westbound on Avenue of the Americas, where he gets onto an electric e-Citi bike and rides northbound on Avenue of the Americas toward Central Park, where at 6:48 a.m., we have the shooter riding this bike into Central Park at Center Drive,” the chief said. “At the scene, we recover three live 9mm rounds and three discharged 9mm shell casings.”

This timeline was updated with the information about the suspect at Starbucks before the shooting happened.

The suspect who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan Wednesday morning demonstrated a high level of preparation and “very clear intent,” former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe told CNN’s Dana Bash.

The suspect waited for Thompson to pass him before approaching him from behind and shooting him once in the back, before walking closer to him and shooting again, police said.

It’s notable that the suspect fired another two rounds after the initial shot in the back, in an effort “to ensure” that he was killed, McCabe said.

“That alone shows you a level of training — or determination, if anything — to complete this murder,” he said.

When the suspect’s gun appeared to malfunction, he was able to clear the jam and continue shooting, police said.

McCabe said that is a skill that is often taught to people who require extensive amounts of firearms training.

The suspect’s apparent preparation and timing during the incident are also key details, McCabe said, noting that the shooter arrived on the scene five minutes before Thompson and waited “casually,” allowing other people to pass him before he started shooting.

“That shows us possible knowledge of the exact right time to be in that place, which could suggest that he had some knowledge of when the CEO was going to leave the building,” McCabe said.

The search for the suspect is ongoing and police are urging anyone with information to come forward.

Brian Thompson

The CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s parent company remembered Brian Thompson as an “extraordinary person” in a video sent to employees on Wednesday.

Thompson was killed by a gunman outside a Manhattan hotel Wednesday morning, walking in to attend UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference.

In the minute-long video obtained by CNN, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty called it a “a terrible tragedy and I know we are in shock and disbelief.”

“Brian was a truly extraordinary person who touched the lives of countless people throughout our organization and far beyond,” Witty said of Thompson, adding that his thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Thompson was married and had two children.

Some more context: Thompson was named chief executive officer for UnitedHealthcare in April 2021. UnitedHealthcare is part of UnitedHealth Group, America’s largest insurance company and one of the country’s biggest companies: UnitedHealth Group is the fourth-largest company in America as ranked by revenue, according to the annual Fortune 500 list.

UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, abruptly ended its scheduled conference Wednesday morning, citing “a very serious medical situation with one of our team members.”

New York City police have released a description of the shooter and where he fled, based on video footage.

“The shooter appears to be a light-skinned male. He’s wearing a light brown or cream colored jacket, a black face mask, black-and-white sneakers, and a very distinctive gray backpack,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.

Evidence shows the gunman “approaches the victim from behind and shoots him in the back.”

“The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again,” Kenny said.

He said the shooter then fled into an alleyway from West 54th Street to West 55th Street.

“Once at West 55th Street, the shooter continues to walk westbound on Avenue of the Americas, where he gets onto an electric e-Citi bike and rides northbound on Avenue of the Americas toward Central Park, where at 6:48 a.m., we have the shooter riding this bike into Central Park at Center Drive,” Kenny said. “At the scene, we recover three live 9mm rounds and three discharged 9mm shell casings.”

The person suspected of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fled on a Citi Bike that had a GPS system, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said.

“We’re still tracking video. The last we see with him on that bike is in Central Park,” Kenny said. “There are GPS on those bikes. We’ll be working with the company.”

NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey speaks during a press conference in New York on Wednesday.

New Yorkers should go about their daily lives but watch for suspicious activity as police search for whoever shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan Wednesday morning, police said in a news conference.

“We’re encouraging New Yorkers to go about their daily lives and their daily business, but to be alert,” NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey told reporters Wednesday.

Police are encouraging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.

The NYPD has a “massive presence” in Manhattan following the shooting, especially around Rockefeller Center, where the city’s annual tree lighting event will take place tonight, Maddrey said.

“We have the drones up. We have aviation out. We have canine out,” he said. “An incident like this happens — we don’t spare any expense.”

Spectators watch as the Rockefeller Christmas tree is installed on November 9 in New York.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers will be out in force as people gather for the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting in the city.

“Millions of people will be enjoying the tree lighting tonight, among other events. And the NYPD will be out there with them, keeping them safe,” she said.

“This incident will not affect the tree lighting,” NYPD Chief of Department Jeff Maddrey also said.

The tree lighting will take place in midtown Manhattan, close to where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in what police say was likely a targeted attack.