Brian Thompson, CEO of the American insurance giant UnitedHealth, was fatally shot Wednesday morning outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, in what NYPD suspect was a premeditated attack.
The shooting occurred around 6:46 a.m. Thompson, 50, was at the hotel for a meeting with investors and financial analysts, which was later canceled. According to law enforcement sources, a masked man, who witnesses had seen lingering near the hotel just before the attack, opened fire from about 20 feet away with a silenced pistol, hitting Thompson in the chest before quickly fleeing east on 6th Avenue.
Thompson, rushed to Mt Sinai Hospital in critical condition, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
The suspect was described as a white male wearing a black sweater, a black face mask, white-and-black sneakers, and carrying a gray backpack. After the shooting, the gunman fled on a bicycle through the alley behind the Ziegfeld Theatre, apparently heading towards Central Park.
Investigators have confirmed that the suspect was not a hotel guest, though it remains unclear whether he had any other reason for being in the area, which was under heavy police surveillance due to the proximity to Rockefeller Center, where the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony was scheduled for later that evening.
The investigation is ongoing, with no arrests made yet. Thompson’s wife told NBC News that her husband had received threats in the days leading up to the attack, although it’s unclear who was behind them.
“I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him,” she said. “I can’t really give a thoughtful response right now. I just found this out and I’m trying to console my children.”
Later in the morning, Mayor Eric Adams stated that there appears to be no further immediate threat from the same individual. “It seems to be clearly targeted by an individual and we will apprehend that individual,” Adams said during a press briefing.
The NYPD has offered a $10,000 reward for anyone who provides useful information leading to the capture of the suspect.
Residing in Minnesota, Thompson was a prominent figure in the private healthcare industry, with an estimated net worth of around $18 million, according to MarketScreener.
With over 20 years at UnitedHealth, a Fortune 500 company ranked eighth among the world’s largest corporations, Thompson became CEO in 2021. Before his appointment as CEO, he had held several key positions, including overseeing the company’s Medicare program and retirement services.
