1. How did the filming go?
Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside a midtown Manhattan hotel around 6:45 a.m. local time. He was scheduled to speak at a conference in the city on Wednesday.
Surveillance camera footage showed the suspected gunman making a phone call near the hotel around 6:30 a.m. ET. Police said the suspect appeared to have been waiting for the UnitedHealthcare CEO for several minutes.
Officials said the man approached Thompson from behind and shot him in the back, then approached the victim and continued shooting. Ultimately, Thompson was shot in the back and at least once in the calf.
Authorities said the gunman's gun appeared to malfunction and after he cleared the traffic, he fired again and fled north into an alley between 54th and 55th Streets. The suspect then continued walking westbound on Boulevard of the Americas, where he got on his electric bike and rode northbound toward Central Park.
Police said they are trying to gather information about e-bikes, especially GPS trackers.
Police said video footage of the shooting showed the suspect was “proficient with firearms” and was able to unjam the gun during the attack.
Police could not currently determine from the video whether a silencer was used.
Police said they recovered three live 9mm bullets and three fired 9mm shell casings.
Officers recovered a cell phone near the scene of the shooting and are conducting forensic analysis to determine if it is related to the victim or suspect.
2. What do we know about the suspect's whereabouts?
On Thursday, the NYPD released new images of the suspect. Police said the incident was captured on security cameras at a hostel on Manhattan's Upper West Side where the suspect was believed to have been staying.
Previously released images showed the suspect wearing a mask. But early Thursday morning, police posted a photo showing a smiling young man with the hood of his coat pulled up, and one man with a more serious expression.
The suspect remained at large as investigators scrambled to identify him and police continued to comb through a vast network of private and public surveillance cameras.
In addition to reviewing data on public e-bikes, law enforcement agencies deployed drones and dogs. Among the clues discovered were a cell phone, video footage of the suspect and a bullet casing found at the scene with the words “denial,” “defense” and “expulsion” written on them.
3. What do we know about motivation?
In short, not quite yet. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Thompson's killing “doesn't appear to be a random act of violence” and was a “brazen, targeted attack.”
“I want to be clear at this point that there is every indication that this was a pre-planned, deliberate, targeted attack,” she said.
However, the motive for the shooting remains unclear. Police are searching for the suspect and are offering up to $10,000 to anyone with information about Thompson's death.
4. Who is Brian Thompson?
Brian Thompson is 50 years old, lives in Minnesota, and has been CEO of United Healthcare since 2021. Mr. Thompson, a father of two, lived in the suburbs of Minneapolis, about a 20-minute drive from the company's headquarters.
He was in New York to attend UnitedHealthcare's annual investor conference, scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Mr. Thompson, a University of Iowa graduate, joined the firm in 2004 from accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021 after holding several other positions, most recently as Chief Executive Officer of UnitedHealthcare's Government Programs business.
Prior to this role, he served as CEO of UnitedHealthcare government programs, including Medicare and Retirement, Community and State.
5. Was Thompson receiving threats?
by phone to NBC NewsMr Thompson's wife Paulette said: Basically I don't know, but maybe there's a lack of coverage? I don't know the details. All I know is that he said there were people threatening him. ”
She did not elaborate on the “lack of coverage” for the network, but the comments came in the wake of the backlash UnitedHealthcare has experienced regarding its insurance coverage. Earlier this year, a protester was arrested outside the company's headquarters in Minnesota, reportedly there to clarify allegations against the organization.Pattern of inappropriate interview refusal”.
