NEW YORK (NewsNation) — Authorities searching for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Wednesday morning said at a news conference earlier in the day that the deadly attack was “premeditated.”
Officials said Thompson, 50, was shot just before 7 a.m. in front of the Hilton Hotel on 54th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police said the suspect was waiting for Thompson to arrive at the hotel for an investor meeting. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called it a “premeditated, premeditated, targeted attack” at a press conference Wednesday.
“The suspect waited for several minutes, and as the victim was walking towards the conference hotel, the suspect approached him from behind and fired several shots, striking the victim at least once in the back and at least once in the right calf. “It was a hit,” she said.
This undated photo provided by UnitedHealth Group shows UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group, via AP)
New York City Mayor Eric Adams vowed to catch the shooter.
UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting: Who is Brian Thompson?
“This was not just a random act of violence. It was clearly targeted at an individual, and we will arrest that individual.”
What do we know about the suspect?
The gunman is believed to be a “light-skinned male.” He is wearing a light brown or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers, and a very distinctive gray backpack,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenney said.
Tisch said many people passed by the suspect before the shooting, but the suspect “appeared to be waiting for his intended target.”
The NYPD releases a photo of the suspect.
When Thompson arrived at the Hilton, the gunman came out from behind the car and fired several shots, hitting Thompson in the leg and back. Kenney said it appeared “the gun malfunctioned while clearing the jam and started firing again.”
Police said the suspect then ran down an alley, jumped on an electric city bike and drove through Central Park on Center Drive.
NYPD offers $10,000 reward for information in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting incident
“I heard gunshots,” a witness told Nexstar’s WPIX. “I looked around and saw a guy with a gun. He fired three shots and then started running.”
Investigators recovered several 9mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cell phone from the alley where the suspect fled. Kenney said they also searched Thompson’s hotel room and questioned his colleagues at UnitedHealthcare.
The shooting was targeted, but police said the motive for the attack was not yet known.
A photo of the suspect was released by the NYPD.
What’s going on with Manhunt?
The search for the suspect continued as of 3pm ET Wednesday.
NYPD Chief Jeffrey Madley said authorities deployed police drones, helicopters and dogs to locate the gunman and deploy a “massive presence” in Manhattan in the wake of the shooting.
“We’ve got drones. We’ve got aviation. The canines are out,” he said. “Incidents like this happen. We will spare no expense.”
The NYPD shared a photo of the suspected gunman taken from surveillance footage. (New York City Police Department)
The e-bike the suspect rode off with is equipped with a GPS system, and authorities are tracking it.
“The last time I saw him riding his bike was in Central Park,” Kenney said. “Those bikes have GPS. We will continue to work with the company.”
Police said the electric bike the suspect used to ride into Central Park belonged to the city’s bike-sharing program, Citibike. A spokesperson for Lyft, which runs the program, told The Associated Press that the company has not yet been contacted by police.
The New York City Police Department is offering up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest in this case.
Nexstar’s WPIX and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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