Gunman in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO may have come to NYC on bus: sources
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) – The gunman who ambushed and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan Wednesday is believed to have come to the city on a bus from Atlanta before the shooting, sources said.
Police on Thursday were still working to identify the gunman who killed the 50-year-old UnitedHealthcare CEO outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel around 6:45 a.m., sources said.
Thompson was walking to the hotel where he was to speak at an investor conference when the gunman approached him from behind and fatally shot him, police said.
“It appears the suspect was lying in wait for several minutes,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Wednesday. “At this time, every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack.”
The gunman had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” emblazoned on his ammunition, echoing a phrase used by critics of the health insurance industry, law enforcement officials said.
The messages on the ammunition mimic the phrase “delay, deny, defend,” which is commonly used by lawyers and insurance industry critics to describe tactics used to avoid paying claims. It refers to insurers delaying payment, denying a claim and then defending their actions.
Health insurers like UnitedHealthcare have become frequent targets of criticism from doctors and patients for denying claims or complicating access to care.
Thompson had been with UnitedHealthcare since 2004 and served as CEO for more than three years.
His wife, Paulette, told NBC News on Wednesday that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have details but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage.
With the gunman still at large, police on Thursday released new photos of a person wanted in the killing of Thompson. The images show an unmasked man in the lobby of the HI New York City hostel in Manhattan. Investigators believe with certainty that the man in the photos at the hostel is the shooter, sources said.
The suspected gunman is believed to have used a fake ID from New Jersey to check into the hostel, according to sources.
Police are trying to use facial recognition technology on images of the suspect to help identify him, sources said.
Investigators are unsure exactly what date the suspect arrived in New York City.
Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.