Officials with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) were still searching on Thursday for the man who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in what was described as a “brazen” attack outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel, a city council member said.
Thompson, the head of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance unit, was shot from behind on Wednesday morning at around 6:45 a.m. in what police said was a targeted attack in which a masked suspect had lain in wait. Thompson was approaching a hotel where UnitedHealthcare was holding its investor conference.
Investigators have not yet revealed if they have a suspect in mind and no motive has been ascribed, NYPD officials said in a news conference Wednesday. Officials have not provided any updates or briefings since then.
Keith Powers, a New York City Council member, told CNN that the NYPD said the “investigation is underway, and I have confidence that we’re going to bring this person into custody.”
Authorities in the city, he added, are working around the clock to find and arrest the suspect.
“We want people to be coming into Manhattan—certainly that part of Manhattan. So we want to assure people that there are safety measures in place, and we also have to make sure we apprehend the suspect so that people can have real confidence that he’s not still out there,” said Powers.
“This does not appear to be a random act of violence,” New York City police commissioner Jessica Tisch said Wednesday. “Every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack.”
The suspect, described as a “light-skinned male” who was wearing a “cream-colored jacket” along with white and black shoes, was last seen fleeing toward Central Park’s Center Drive, said officials on Wednesday.
Surveillance footage released by the NYPD showed the suspect approach a man wearing a suit before firing several shots from behind. The suspect also appeared to be manually racking the slide of his handgun, which may have had a noise-suppressor attached.
Officials have not provided any information on whether the assailant was using a suppressor, also known as a silencer. It’s also not clear if the suspect was manually racking the slide to clear the firearm’s chamber due to a malfunction or some other reason.
Police have published a number of photographs of the suspect taken from video cameras in the area, including one with the gun raised and pointed toward Thompson and another of the suspect fleeing on a bike. Other photos captured a glimpse of his eyes, brow, and the bridge of his nose as he stood in a cafe. A caption on the image asks the public for any help in identifying the man.
In a statement on Wednesday, UnitedHealth confirmed that Thompson, 50, was slain in the attack.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,“ the statement said. ”We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”
Thompson’s wife, Paulette, told NBC News in an exclusive interview that her husband had been receiving threats, possibly related to his job.
“There had been some threats. Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details,” she told the outlet, possibly referring to insurance coverage. “I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
UnitedHealth is considered the largest health insurance provider in the United States. It’s also one of the largest American companies, according to Fortune magazine.
Reuters contributed to this report.
This article was originally published by The Epoch Times.
