Brian Thompson, 50, was gunned down outside a hotel in Manhattan on the morning of Dec. 4, NYPD officials say.
The chief executive of UnitedHealth’s insurance unit was shot and killed in what New York City police officials say was a targeted attack on the morning of Dec. 4 outside a Manhattan hotel.
Brian Thompson, 50, was killed outside the Hilton building on Sixth Avenue, where the health insurance giant’s yearly investor conference was set to take place. Thompson was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said. The gunman remains at large.
NYPD Chief Confirms CEO Killed
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed the fatal shooting, describing it as a “brazen targeted attack.” The gunman waited for Thompson, ignored bystanders, and then shot him in the back and leg, she said in a news conference.
“I want to be clear at this time: Every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack,” she said, adding that it “does not appear to be a random act of violence.”
“Investigative efforts of the New York City Police Department are well underway, and we will not rest until we identify and apprehend the shooter.”
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said NYPD patrol officers responded to a 911 call at 6:46 a.m. ET about an individual shot at a Midtown Manhattan Hilton hotel. Police officers arrived at 6:48 a.m. and found a man on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds to his leg and back, he said.
No Arrests Made, No Suspect Identified
The suspect, who was described as a “light-skinned male” and who was wearing a “cream-colored jacket,” was on the scene about five minutes before Thompson arrived outside of the hotel, Kenny said.
As Thompson walked to the hotel, the suspect followed him before firing several rounds at him, Kenny said. The suspect then fled on foot before riding an electric bike away from the scene and was last seen at Central Park on Center Drive, officials said.
