Manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer enters 3rd day

UnitedHealth Group, has released a statement saying their “hearts are broken” and that they have been “touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support” since CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in Manhattan early Wednesday.

The masked gunman appeared to be lying in wait outside the Hilton hotel in what police said was a “premeditated” attack. The shooter arrived at the scene about five minutes before Thompson before shooting the victim in the chest around 6:40 a.m., police said.

Video captured the moment the gunman walked up behind the CEO, pointed his gun at him and fired. A witness fled as Thompson stumbled and fell to the ground. The gunman then walked closer to Thompson, firing more times before fleeing.

“So many patients, consumers, health care professionals, associations, government officials and other caring people have taken time out of their day to reach out. We are thankful, even as we grieve,” UnitedHealth Group, parent company of the division Thompson was CEO of — UnitedHealthcare — said in their latest statement. “Our priorities are, first and foremost, supporting Brian’s family; ensuring the safety of our employees; and working with law enforcement to bring the perpetrator to justice.”

“We, at UnitedHealth Group, will continue to be there for those who depend upon us for their health care,” the statement continued. “We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy as they mourn the loss of their husband, father, brother and friend.”

The killer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson entered New York by bus Nov. 24, when a surveillance camera at Port Authority Bus Terminal caught his arrival at 9 p.m., law enforcement sources told ABC News.

Police are investigating whether the suspect left the city by bus the day of the shooting on Dec. 4.

The inbound bus originated in Atlanta but it was not immediately clear where the suspected boarded.

The 10 day period is the focus of investigative efforts as police have collected a lot of video of the suspect all over the city — in the subway, in cabs and even in a McDonald’s. Each place he paid with cash and he made sure to keep his mask on, which indicates to detectives he knew he was coming to the city to commit the murder.

The suspect likely checked into the hostel at 103/Amsterdam on the Nov. 24, checked out and then checked back in again on Nov. 30. It’s not clear when the surveillance image was captured.

The NYPD released new photos of the suspect, seen without a mask, on Thursday, while asking for the public’s help in identifying him. The images were taken from a surveillance camera at the HI New York City Hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Police had obtained a warrant to search after coming to believe the suspect stayed there, sources told ABC News.

Police were able to find an image of the suspect without his face mask because of an exchange in which the shooter obliged the desk clerk’s request to show his face occurred because the desk clerk is required to match a guest’s face with a photo ID, police sources told ABC News.

As he stood at the check-in desk, the sources said the woman asked to see his smile. The suspected shooter obliged, pulling down his mask long enough for the surveillance camera to capture his face.

The suspected shooter checked into the hostel using a New Jersey license that wasn’t his own, police sources told ABC News. Detectives ran the name and found it did not resemble any known photos of the suspect or other evidence amassed so far, the sources said.

His check-in date was Nov. 30, but officials believe that the suspected shooter was in the city prior to that date.

Law enforcement sources told ABC News that he arrived last month from Atlanta, Georgia. He took a Greyhound bus into Port Authority Terminal in Midtown.

Both Greyhound and the parent company of the hostel, Hostelling International USA, said in a statement that they are “fully cooperating with the NYPD” but cannot comment further due to the active investigation.

Detectives are currently canvassing other hostels and locations on the Upper West Side and beyond, showing the suspect’s picture as they work to identify him, sources said.

They are working to learn more about the man’s whereabouts in the time between his arrival to New York City and the shooting incident.

Thompson was a longtime executive whose rise at the company came after a stint as a business advisor at global consulting giant PwC, according to his LinkedIn page.

He lived in a non-gated neighborhood in Maple Grove, Minnesota, a Twin Cities suburb, roughly 15 miles away from UnitedHealth Group’s Minnetonka headquarters.

After occupying various executive roles at the company for nearly 20 years, Thompson was appointed to his current position in 2021.

Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, said in a statement that she’s “shattered” by the “senseless killing.”

“Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives,” she said. “Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and will be greatly missed.”