Chilling minute-by-minute breakdown of CEO assassination from Starbucks trip to ‘spy gun’ execution & e-bike escape
BRIAN Thompson’s suspected killer is still on the loose as New York City cops desperately try to hunt him down.
It took the masked gunman seconds to land several fatal shots before escaping into the big city.
He was captured on CCTV several times within a 45-minute period on Wednesday as he ruthlessly killed and fled the scene.
Investigations are ongoing into the broad daylight strike with cops launching a manhunt for the gunman.
Here is the minute-by-minute breakdown of the brazen attack.
Wednesday, December 4 – 6:15am
CCTV captures the suspected shooter leaving the 57th Street F subway station around 30 minutes before the shooting.
Investigators say the man may have taken a subway from the Upper West Side to Midtown.
He is seen wearing a black hoodie with a mask covering his face.
Starbucks stop – 6:17am
The suspected assassin is seen laying in wait at a nearby Starbucks after leaving the train station.
He is believed to have ordered a coffee, a bottle of water and two energy bars from the West 56th and 6th Avenue branch.
CCTV from just two blocks away from the murder scene showed the man tossing the bottle and a coffee cup in the trash.
Mystery phone call – 6:30am
Suspect seen walking down a nearby street with his phone up to his ear appearing to be on the phone.
His mask remained up the entire time.
Chilling murder – 6:44am
CCTV footage captured the moment a man walks out behind Thompson and points a large black gun at the UnitedHealthcare CEO.
The hitman-style execution took place outside the Hilton Midtown hotel.
Several shots are fired at Thompson’s back and legs as he drops to the floor.
Police recovered three live 9mm rounds and three discharged casings from the street.
The words “deny,” “depose” and “defend” were found on the casings, police sources told the New York Post.
Reports claim the murder weapon may have been inspired by a rare WW2 spy gun.
The gun appears to match a Brugger & Thomet VP9 – a Swiss gun that is known for its use by vets to put down large sick animals, like a horse, sources told the New York Post.
The escape – 6:45am
Moments after the deadly ambush the suspect flees the scene and sparks a frantic manhunt.
Watch as the assailant calmly walks up the sidewalk before briskly jogging across the street from the Hilton.
He was later seen heading northbound through an alleyway between 54th Street and 55th Street.
Intelligence officer Phillip Ingram explains why he believes the shooting was carefully planned in the video below.
911 call – 6:46am
Cops from the Midtown North Precinct receive a frantic 911 call from a member of the public reporting a man – later revealed to be Thompson – has been shot.
CEO discovered – 6:48am
Just minutes after the call, officers arrive outside the Hilton and find Thompson on the floor.
He was rushed to hospital by EMS with cops saying he had several gunshot wounds to his back and legs.
Suspect’s last known sighting – 6:48am
Footage from street cameras show the suspect riding an e-bike in Central Park just minutes after the shooting.
He is still wearing the same clothes with his hood up and has his backpack still on.
The NYPD have confirmed this is the last confirmed sighting of the man they are looking for.
The man being hunted by cops was caught on CCTV footage several times both before and after the shooting.
Forensics teams discovered a chilling message left on the bullets the killer used to murder Thompson in cold blood.
The words “deny,” “depose,” and “defend,” were found on live rounds and shell casings at the scene, police sources told the New York Post.
Those words could have been a reference to the book Delay, Deny, Defend, which covered insurance companies and why they refuse to pay claims.
There is speculation the killer could have been a disgruntled patient with UnitedHealthcare exacting some form of revenge.
The book’s author, Jay M. Feinman, refused to speak following the murder.
The phrase is also commonly used by lawyers and insurance 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.
A $10,000 reward for information related to the killer has been offered by the NYPD.
Police have urged the public to call Crime Stoppers on 1-800-577-TIPS with any information.
A second sighting – 7:00am
Unconfirmed footage shows a man riding on an electric bike down W 85th street.
He is wearing the same black outfit as the suspected shooter but doesn’t appear to have a bag on him anymore.
Law enforcement has told CNN they have seen the video and believe the man in question is likely to be the gunman.
Thompson pronounced dead – 7:12am
Thursday, December 5 – 11:20am
The NYPD release a set of images of a person of interest related to the shooting.
They show a smirking man inside a hostel in Upper Manhattan with the lower half of his face visible under his hood.
NYPD and FBI agents searched the hostel on Amsterdam Avenue and found the person checked into the hostel on November 30.
Cops are yet to confirm if the man in the images is the suspect.