UnitedHealthcare CEO shot dead in New York, prompting hunt for masked killer
Suspect fled on an electric bike towards Central Park after shooting Brian Thompson in an apparently targeted hit
Investigators were searching for clues that could help them identify the masked gunman who stalked and killed the leader of one of the largest US health insurance companies on a Manhattan pavement, then disappeared into Central Park.
Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealth’s insurance unit, was shot at around 6.45am on Wednesday outside the Hilton on Sixth Avenue, just before the company’s annual investor conference. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“This does not appear to be a random act of violence,” New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press conference. “Every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack.”
The suspect, wearing a mask and carrying a grey backpack, fled on foot before mounting an electric bike and riding into Central Park, police said.
The gunman used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny”, “defend” and “depose”, police said.
