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The masked gunman who killed the CEO of one of the largest US health insurance companies in front of surveillance cameras in midtown Manhattan walked free Thursday from the net cast by the nation’s largest police department.
The New York Police Department released a new surveillance image, asking for the public’s help in identifying the person in it for questioning.
The person has been unmasked, unlike the surveillance images released Wednesday. In these images, the suspect was wearing a hooded jacket and a mask that hid most of his face, which would not have attracted attention on a cold day. Some of the photos were taken at a Starbucks shortly before the shooting.
Police offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Last seen driving in Central Park
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, died early Wednesday while on his way to the company’s annual investor conference at the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan. UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state and federally funded Medicaid programs, but it is unclear at this time whether Thompson’s killing was related to his professional position.
Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cell phone from the street the shooter fled down, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said earlier.
Meanwhile, several U.S. media outlets, including The Associated Press, reported that the gunman used ammunition with the words “deny,” “defend” and “cancel,” citing officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to do so. to speak publicly about the investigation. The words on the ammunition may have been a reference to strategies that insurance companies may use to try to avoid paying claims; they were also the title of a 2010 book detailing the reasons why insurance companies deny claims to Americans.
An employee at a nearby hostel confirmed that police visited the site on Thursday with questions related to the investigation, but declined to provide further details.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press conference Wednesday that while investigators had not yet determined a motive, the shooting was not a random act of violence.
“Many people passed by the suspect, but he appeared to be waiting for his intended target,” she said.
Based on surveillance video and evidence collected at the scene, investigators believe the shooter had at least some prior firearms training and experience with weapons and the gun was equipped with a silencer, said one law enforcement officer who spoke to the AP.
Investigators are also looking into whether the suspect had previously parked the bike as part of his escape plan, the official said. The shooter fled on a bicycle and was last seen entering Central Park.
Minnesota police are unaware of the threat
Security camera video showed the gunman approaching Thompson from behind, leveling the gun and firing several shots, barely pausing to clear a jammed gun as the health care manager slumped to the pavement. Other cameras captured the initial stages of the gunman’s escape. He fled the block across a crosswalk, then fled on a bicycle.
Police used drones, helicopters and dogs in an intensive search for the suspect.
Insurer Minnetonka, Minn.-based parent UnitedHealth Group Inc. held its annual meeting with investors to update Wall Street on the company’s progress and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early after Thompson’s death.
WATCH l More on the assassination of a powerful health insurance executive:
Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the largest U.S. health insurer, was shot dead on a sidewalk in New York City on Wednesday in what appeared to be a “brazen, targeted attack,” police said.
Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with the company since 2004 and served as CEO for more than three years.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” UnitedHealth Group said in a statement. “We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”
Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people who threatened him.” She had no further details, but said the threat may have been related to insurance coverage.
Eric Werner, the police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received reports of threats to the executive branch.
