UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot in New York City, police say

The police unfurled a massive manhunt in Manhattan on Wednesday for a gunman they said shot and killed the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare — the nation's largest health insurance provider — in what NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called "a brazen targeted attack."

The search for the killer of Brian Thompson, 50, occurred while city officials prepared for the annual holiday tree lighting ceremony just blocks away in Rockefeller Center, which draws thousands of New Yorkers as well as visitors from around the globe each year. 

NYPD video teams pored through surveillance footage from before, during and after the incident to track the suspect to Central Park, but he remained at large Wednesday evening. 

Thompson was outside the Hilton Hotel on Sixth Avenue between West 53rd and 54th streets when a masked man approached him and fired multiple times just before 7 a.m. and then fled the scene, Tisch said during a late Wednesday morning news conference at NYPD headquarters in lower Manhattan.

The commissioner told reporters the shooter appeared to be "lying in wait" just before approaching Thompson from behind and opening fire.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said police do not know why Thompson, a resident of Maple Grove, Minnesota, was targeted by the gunman. Thompson was in New York to attend the annual investors meeting of UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, authorities said. Video from the scene suggests the gunman knew who he wanted to shoot. 

"The motive for this murder is currently unknown, but based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear the victim was specifically targeted," Kenny said. "But at this point we do not know why. This does not appear to be a random act of violence."

NYPD officials said the gunman waited for Thompson outside the hotel, then fled after the shooting. The shooter was last seen riding a Citi Bike e-bike in Central Park, where drones and a helicopter hovered above hours after the shooting.

The apparent ambush took place a few blocks from Rockefeller Center, but Tisch and other officials said they do not believe the shooter posed a threat to revelers or residents.

"Every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack. Millions of people will be enjoying the tree lighting tonight, among other holiday events, and the NYPD will be out there keeping them safe," Tisch said.

An NYPD source close to the investigation called the shooting a targeted assassination.

"You could say all things point in that direction,’’ the source said.

The suspect is a light-skinned male who was wearing a light brown or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and "a very distinctive gray backpack," Kenny said.

Kenny said patrol officers arrived at the Hilton at 6:48 a.m. They found Thompson, who had gunshot wounds to the back and leg, on the sidewalk in front of the hotel. Thompson was taken by emergency service responders to Mount Sinai West, formerly Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m.

The gunman arrived at the scene about five minutes before Thompson, who was registered in a hotel across the street. The shooter stepped onto the sidewalk from behind a car when Thompson arrived at the Hilton and shot him in the back, Kenny said.

The gunman walked toward Thompson and continued to shoot. The firearm appeared to malfunction but the gunman was able to unjam it before opening fire again. Kenny said that suggests the shooter was proficient with weapons.

The gunman fled north, into an alley between West 54th and West 55th streets, Kenny said. He then continued on foot on Sixth Avenue before getting on an electric Citi Bike, which he rode to Central Park. The suspect was last spotted riding in the park at 6:48 a.m. on Center Drive.

Citi Bikes are equipped with GPS devices, and Kenny said investigators are working with the company to track the e-bike down.

A video of the shooting viewed by Newsday showed Thompson walking toward the Hilton in a blue suit when the shooter opened fire. Thompson appeared to stumble and then falls down adjacent to a building.

It is not clear if the gunman spoke to Thompson before the shooting. Kenny said video of the incident does not include audio. Police are working to identify a witness who was close to Thompson at the time of the shooting.

Police recovered three live 9 mm rounds and three shell casings at the scene of the shooting. The three unfired rounds found could contain DNA evidence, officials said. They also found a cellphone in the alley, which is being examined by investigators, officials said. It is unclear if the phone is connected to the shooter.

The NYPD is seeking the public’s help in identifying the gunman, police said. They asked anyone with information about the shooting to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-8477. Crime Stoppers is offering rewards of up to $10,000 for information about the case, she said.

Thompson did not have a security detail, according to Kenny, who said investigators are trying to determine if the insurance executive had been targeted by an angry customer or if he had any personal enemies. 

"We are looking into everything," Kenny said. "We are looking at his social media. We are interviewing employees, we are interviewing family members. We will be speaking to law enforcement in Minnesota."

Thompson's wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he had recently received threats, but did not know the details. 

The shooting will not impact the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center later on Wednesday, Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said.

"We will have a massive police presence out there, around Rockefeller Center, from 52nd Street all the way to 47th Street," Maddrey said, including plainclothes officers, K-9 teams, drones and the aviation unit.

Patrols will also be beefed up in the city’s subway system, so people can travel on mass transit safely to the tree lighting ceremony, Maddrey said.

"This is a terrible event, but we are going to go on and people are going to enjoy the tree lighting tonight," Maddrey said.

UnitedHealthcare is the country’s largest health insurer and part of Minnetonka, Minnesota-based health care conglomerate UnitedHealth Group. UnitedHealthcare, the company’s insurance arm, generated $224 billion in revenue in the nine months ended  Sept. 30.

Thompson was named the insurance giant’s chief executive in April 2021, according to UnitedHealthcare. Before that, he served as CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s government programs. Thompson joined the company in 2004. UnitedHealth Group issued a statement on Wednesday morning expressing shock and sadness over Thompson’s death.

"Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him," the statement said. "We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him."