The CEO of insurance company UnitedHealthcare’s insurance unit, Brian Thompson, was shot and killed by a masked gunman in what appears to be a targeted attack in New York City, unnamed officials said in media reports on Wednesday.
UnitedHealthcare did not immediately respond to an Epoch Times request for comment. The health giant also has not issued a statement on reports of Thompson’s death.
The company was hosting its investor day on Wednesday, which was closed before time due to “a very serious medical situation” with one of its team members, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said at the event, a recording of which was aired by CNBC on Wednesday. He did not make mention of Thompson or any UnitedHealth staffer in particular.
Police are investigating the shooting death as a targeted attack and suspect a gun silencer, known as a suppressor, may have been used, according to multiple local and international media reports, citing police sources. The suspect was described as a white male wearing a ski mask.
The New York Times, which obtained a New York City Police Department (NYPD) report, said the suspect fled to the east on 6th Avenue in Manhattan. The individual has not been located or identified.
The NYPD deputy commissioner’s office said a male was shot in front of 13356 6th Avenue, within the confines of the Midtown North Precinct.
He was transported to Mount Sinai West in critical condition and later pronounced dead, the NYPD said.
There are no arrests at this time, and the investigation is active and ongoing. The identification of the dead person now is pending proper family notification, the department said.
Investigators told CNN that the suspected gunman was waiting in the area for some time before Thompson arrived on the scene. The Epoch Times has not independently verified that information or reports about an attack targeting Thompson by an individual wearing a ski mask.
Thompson took over as the leader of the company’s insurance unit in 2021, according to the health insurance company’s website. Before that, he was in charge of the insurance giant’s Medicaid and Medicare unit.
UnitedHealthcare is a unit of UnitedHealth Group, the company says. UnitedHealth Group is ranked as the largest health insurance company in the United States, according to Forbes magazine.
As of Wednesday morning’s trading, UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s stock was up by around 1.2 percent.
Reuters contributed to this report.
This article was originally published by The Epoch Times.
