UnitedHealthcare CEO shot and killed in New York
NEW YORK CITY (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A manhunt is underway in New York after a gunman shot and killed the CEO of a major health insurance company early Wednesday morning.
It happened in midtown, outside the Hilton Hotel.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in the back and leg shortly before attending an investor conference at the hotel.
Video obtained by NBC News shows Thompson walking alone when a gunman approached him from behind.
"The shooter steps onto the sidewalk from behind the car, he ignores numerous other pedestrians, approaches the victim from behind and shoots him in the back. The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot," said Joseph Kenny, New York Police Department (NYPD) Chief of Detectives.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch calls it a brazen, targeted attack.
"This does not appear to be a random act of violence," Tisch added.
Thompson was headed to an investor conference at the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan around 6:40 a.m. Eastern when he was shot.
Police say the attacker, dressed in all black, was wearing a distinctive gray backpack during the shooting.
He ran across the street and then jumped on an e-bike, last seen entering Central Park a few blocks away.
"I hear the shot. And when I look, the guy was...it was a gun, like you know, the silent gun, got like a black gun, I saw him after he shot him, he ran across the street this way," said Amar Abdelmula, a witness.
Police found three bullet casings and a cell phone at the scene.
In a brief interview, Thompson's wife told NBC News her husband had recently received some threats, but didn't elaborate.
As they race against time to find a killer, police in New York insist the general public is safe.
"Every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned targeted attack," Tisch shared.
UnitedHealth Group released a statement on the shooting writing:
"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. 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 was 50-years-old.
There's a $10,000 reward for information which helps capture his killer, and police are trying to find a witness: A woman who was standing just feet from the gunman, and who ran away when the shots rang out.
