The CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s insurance unit, Brian Thompson, was shot and killed by a masked gunman in what appears to be a targeted attack in New York City, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
In a news conference on Wednesday morning, Tisch said that Thompson was killed in a “brazen, targeted attack” and that the suspect lied in wait for several minutes before shooting the UnitedHealth CEO multiple times in the back.
The suspect, who was last seen in Central Park, fled on foot and later on an E-bike. The individual has not been identified or captured.
The public was urged to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers tip line, increasing the reward in the case to $10,000, the police commissioner said. The motive for the murder is not clear, officials said.
The shooting of Thompson was a “premeditated, preplanned targeted attack,” Tisch said, adding that several people passed by the suspect as he waited “for his intended target.”
The suspect was described as a “light-skinned” male who was wearing a “cream-colored jacket,” an NYPD official said at the news conference. A photo of the suspect holding a gun with what appears to be a silencer, or suppressor, as well as a photo suspect riding a bike were distributed online.
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Authorities said that the shooting will not affect the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan later on Wednesday.
“Millions of people will be enjoying the tree lighting tonight, among other holiday events, and the NYPD will be out there with them, keeping them safe,” Tisch said.
Law enforcement officials are interviewing family members, UnitedHealth employees, and other individuals in Minnesota, where the company is based, authorities said.
Site of the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, outside the Milton Hotel, in New York City on Dec. 4, 2024. Oliver Mantyk/Epoch Times
The company was hosting its investor day on Wednesday, which was closed before time due to “a very serious medical situation” with one of its team members, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said at the event, a recording of which was aired by CNBC on Wednesday. He did not make mention of Thompson or any UnitedHealth staffer in particular.
Police say that the suspect may have used a gun silencer, also known as a suppressor, in the shooting, according to multiple local and international media reports, citing police sources. The suspect was described as a white male wearing a ski mask.
Earlier on Wednesday, the NYPD deputy commissioner’s office said a male was shot in front of 13356 6th Avenue, within the confines of the Midtown North Precinct. Thompson was then transported to Mount Sinai West in critical condition and later pronounced dead, the NYPD said.
Thompson took over as the leader of the company’s insurance unit in 2021, according to the health insurance company’s website. Before that, he was in charge of the insurance giant’s Medicaid and Medicare unit.
UnitedHealthcare is a unit of UnitedHealth Group, the company says. UnitedHealth Group is ranked as the largest health insurance company in the United States, according to Forbes magazine.
As of Wednesday morning’s trading, UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s stock was up by around 1 percent.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a file photo. UnitedHealth Group via Reuters
UnitedHealthcare did not immediately respond to an Epoch Times request for comment. The health giant also has not issued a statement on reports of Thompson’s death.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the former Democratic Party’s vice presidential candidate, wrote in a Wednesday post on X that the development is “horrifying news and a terrible loss” for business in his state. “Minnesota is sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
