The executive, Brian Thompson, was shot in what the police described as a “brazen targeted attack” outside a hotel where the company was holding an investor meeting. The assailant was last spotted in Central Park, investigators said at a news conference.
A manhunt is underway. Here’s the latest.
A furious manhunt was underway in Manhattan after the head of one of the nation’s largest health insurers was gunned down on Wednesday morning in what the police called a “brazen targeted attack.” A gunman lay in wait for the executive outside a hotel in Midtown, the heart of the city’s business and tourist districts, and opened fire before fleeing into Central Park, according to investigators.
Surveillance video obtained by The New York Times shows the gunman walking up behind the executive, Brian Thompson, 50, as he approaches one of the entrances to the New York Hilton Midtown around 6:45 a.m. The gunman fires on Mr. Thompson, who stumbles and manages to turn toward his assailant. The video also shows what investigators said was the pistol jamming during the shooting and the assailant quickly clearing the jam and resuming fire. Mr. Thompson collapses on the sidewalk before the gunman flees.
The city’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, said the attacker had waited for Mr. Thompson, ignoring other passers-by, and then shot him in the back and leg. Three shell casings were recovered from the scene, on 54th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Investigators said the gunman had fled the scene using an electric Citi Bike and been spotted later in the vast park in central Manhattan.
A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the assailant had been inside a nearby Starbucks before the shooting. Surveillance images from the shop released by the police appeared to show a white man in a dark, hooded coat with a dark mask covering his mouth and nose. Additional footage obtained by The Times from near the scene shows the assailant arriving in the area of the shooting at least 10 minutes beforehand.
The law enforcement official said that Mr. Thompson had recently received several threats and that the police were investigating their source and exact nature, but noted that health care executives can often receive threats because of the nature of their work.
The shooting happened on the morning of the company’s annual investor conference in New York City. Presentations were underway as news of the shooting began to spread. Ryan Langston, an analyst in the audience, said that attendees started getting notifications on their phones, and that the room “quickly turned very somber, very quiet.”
Here’s what to know:
The company reacts: Mr. Thompson was promoted to chief executive of Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare in April 2021, heading a unit of the larger UnitedHealth Group. In a statement, UnitedHealth Group said the company was “deeply saddened and shocked” by Mr. Thompson’s death. “Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him,” the company said.
Family in mourning: Mr. Thompson’s sister-in-law, Elena Reveiz, said she was still processing the news of his death. “He was a good person, and I am so sad,” Ms. Reveiz said when reached by phone. She said Mr. Thompson had two children, and she was on her way to be with his family.
Profits and problems: Mr. Thompson managed a division that employs about 140,000 people and offers insurance plans to employers and individuals, including people enrolled in government programs. UnitedHealthcare and its parent company have enjoyed profitable growth but also been rattled by federal investigations. Lawmakers and federal regulators have accused UnitedHealthcare of systematically denying authorization for procedures and treatments, and officials scrutinized its parent company after a cyberattack that compromised private information, including health data, of more than 100 million Americans.
Rockefeller Center tree: The police said that the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, about four blocks from where the shooting took place, would go on as planned this evening. The event would have its normal security measures in place, which Jeffrey B. Maddrey, chief of department, described as “a massive police presence.”
