Who shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson?
Police say they are looking for a man in a light brown or cream-colored jacket, who may be carrying a distinctive gray backpack.
As the search for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson entered its third day on Friday, the health insurance giant’s parent company pleaded for privacy for his family.
The company in a statement it was focusing on the safety of its employees and working with law enforcement to “bring the perpetrator to justice.”
“So many patients, consumers, health care professionals, associations, government officials and other caring people have taken time out of their day to reach out. We are thankful, even as we grieve,” the statement said. “We, at UnitedHealth Group, will continue to be there for those who depend upon us for their health care. We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy as they mourn the loss of their husband, father, brother and friend.”
Thompson, the highest-ranking executive at UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest insurance providers in the nation, was gunned down outside the Hilton Midtown Manhattan early Wednesday by a masked gunman who fled the scene on foot and then by bike into Central Park, touching off a massive dragnet in the country’s most populous city.
The New York Police Department released surveillance images on Thursday of a “person of interest” checking into a youth hostel and asked for the public’s help finding the man, who was wearing a jacket similar to one worn by the gunman but a different backpack.
Investigators are analyzing a cellphone found near the scene along with three bullet casings inscribed with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” multiple news outlets reported. Those terms have been associated with insurance companies’ strategies for rejecting claims, but police are still working to determine the shooter’s motive.
Several clues emerged about the gunman’s actions before the shooting. Authorities believe he arrived by bus on Nov. 24 and stayed at a hostel in the Upper West Side, booking a room with a fake New Jersey ID, the New York Times reported.
The bus began its trip to New York from Atlanta, but it’s not clear where the gunman boarded it, according to CNN, which also reported his unmasked photos were captured at the hostel’s front desk during an exchange with a clerk.
Police have said they recovered a water bottle and the wrapper for a protein bar they believe the man bought at a Starbucks close to the hotel, and they’re being analyzed. But the Times reported a fingerprint on the bottle was too smudged to help the investigation.
Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information that could lead to an arrest and conviction.
Thompson lived in Maple Grove, Minnesota, about 15 miles northwest of Minneapolis. The police departments in both cities said they didn’t have any records of threats against him.
Thompson is survived by his two sons and wife, Paulette Thompson, a physical therapist of over 20 years who graduated from the same college as her husband, according to her workplace bio.
He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1997 with a Bachelor’s in business administration and accounting, according to his LinkedIn.
Thompson started at UnitedHealth Group in 2004, and over the next two decades climbed up the ranks, working in several departments before taking up his most recent role overseeing its health insurance unit. The company on Wednesday described Thompson as “a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him.”
Mike Tuffin, president and CEO of AHIP, a commercial health insurance trade association, said in a statement he was “Heartbroken and horrified by the loss of my friend Brian Thompson.”
“He was a devoted father, a good friend to many and a refreshingly candid colleague and leader,” Tuffin said. “All of us at AHIP are thinking of Brian’s family and his UnitedHealth Group colleagues at this difficult time.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
