UnitedHealthcare CEO shot dead outside New York hotel: What do we know about suspect gunman killer of Brian Thompson?

New York City Police is still searching the gunman killer who shot at Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth's insurance unit, on Wednesday morning outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel in New York.

The shooting occurred around 6:45 a.m. (ET) outside the Hilton on Sixth Avenue, where the company's annual investor conference was about to take place. Thompson was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said the gunman remains at large.

"This does not appear to be a random act of violence," New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press conference. "Every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack."


The suspect, wearing a mask and carrying a gray backpack, fled on foot before mounting an electric bike and riding into Central Park, police said.

Video showed the gunman arrived outside the Hilton about five minutes before Thompson. He ignored several other people walking by, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters. When Thompson approached the hotel, the gunman shot him in the back with a pistol and then continued firing, even after his gun appeared to jam.

"Based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear that the victim was specifically targeted, but at this point, we do not know why," Kenny said.

The shooting happened not long before a scheduled investor conference at the Hilton. UnitedHealth Group Chief Executive Andrew Witty took the stage about one hour after the event started to announce the rest of the program would be cancelled.

"We're dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members, and as a result, I'm afraid we're going to have to bring to a close the event today," he said.

FAQs

Q1. Who was UnitedHealthcare CEO?
A1. Brian Thompson was UnitedHealthcare CEO.

Q2. Was UnitedHealthcare CEO killer wearing mask?
A2. UnitedHealthcare CEO was wearing a mask and carrying a gray backpack.