A high-ranking official has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was brutally executed in a targeted attack outside a Manhattan hotel this week, the Post reported.
Officials said the man was picked up in Altoona, Pennsylvania, using a fake ID.
The bust came amid a major manhunt for a masked gunman who was ambushed outside the Sixth Avenue Hilton where Thompson, 50, was scheduled to speak at an investor conference Wednesday morning.
Shocking surveillance footage shows a terrifyingly capable gunman sneak up behind Mr. Thompson on the sidewalk, pull out what appears to be a silenced handgun, and calmly fire several shots into the CEO's back. It became clear.
Mr Thompson was hit in the back and right calf and fell to the ground, but the attacker quickly ran off, before grabbing his e-bike and driving off.
Thompson was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The execution sparked a massive investigation, with a steady trickle of sometimes bizarre clues and revelations.
The gunman's bullets found at the scene appeared to have the words “denial,” “expulsion” and “defense” written on them. It was a subliminal message from the killer, echoing the title of a book condemning the practices of the health insurance industry. Payment of insurance claims.
Video discovered during the investigation also showed the suspected killer's smiling face and a potential connection to the Upper West Side hostel where he was reportedly staying before the murder.
A motive was not immediately known.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters that the gunman intentionally targeted Thompson, a father of two, as witnesses milled around the hotel. Mr Thompson said his wife had recently been the target of threats over her job.
“Many people passed the suspect, but the suspect appeared to be waiting for his intended target,” she said.
It was not immediately clear whether anyone claimed the $10,000 reward offered by the NYPD and CrimeStoppers.
Thompson's wife, Paulette “Paulie” Thompson, 51, said that before the shooting, her family had received threats related to her husband's job leading the nation's largest private insurance company. NBC News coverage.
“There have been some threats,” she said, according to NBC. “Basically I don't know, is there a lack of reporting? I don't know the details. All I know is that he said there were people threatening him. That’s all.”
Law enforcement officials confirmed to the Post that UnitedHealthcare told investigators about the threats against Thompson.
Thompson was promoted to CEO of UnitedHealthcare in 2021 and made nearly $10 million the following year, the company said. Economic Research Institute
The shooting caused panic at an investor conference where Thompson was scheduled to speak, with attendees leaving in shock and tears, witnesses said.
UnitedHealth Group released a statement expressing shock at Thompson's death.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to everyone he worked with,” the statement said.
Flags were flown at half-staff Wednesday at the company's headquarters in Minnetonka, Minn.
“This is terrible news and a terrible loss for Minnesota's business and health care communities,” Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement. “The State of Minnesota sends our prayers to Brian's family and the United Healthcare team.”
