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The CEO of US-based UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was gunned down outside a New York hotel on Wednesday. Mr Thompson, 50, was walking toward the New York Hilton Midtown, where he was set to deliver a keynote address at an investor conference when he was ambushed. Surveillance footage captured the suspect - a white man wearing a hooded jacket, a black face mask, and sneakers -approaching Thompson from behind.
According to the NYPD, the gunman fired multiple shots using a semi-automatic handgun equipped with a silencer in the bustling Midtown Manhattan area.
NYC has some of the strictest gun laws. That doesn't prevent the execution of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by a gunman using a gun with a silencer attached.
It appears overreaching gun laws don't work.
Murderers don't care about laws.
Go figure. pic.twitter.com/qhcP7Ty6lP
— Chris Randolph (@TrumpAF2024) December 4, 2024
Initial shots struck Mr Thompson in the back and leg, causing him to stagger and collapse against a wall. Despite the firearm jamming three times, the shooter cleared the weapon and continued firing. After ensuring Mr Thompson was incapacitated, the attacker calmly walked away, later fleeing the scene on an electric bike toward Central Park.
Officers responded to a 911 call, arriving to find Mr Thompson on the sidewalk with critical gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Surveillance footage revealed the suspect had been near the scene for several minutes before the attack, blending in with morning commuters. Earlier, at 6:17 am, cameras captured the gunman at a nearby Starbucks, purchasing water and power bars while wearing a surgical mask.
According to the CNN, police recovered a water bottle and a phone from an alley near the shooting site, believed to have been discarded by the suspect. Investigators are analysing the phone for potential fingerprints, DNA, or communication records that might reveal the killer's identity.
UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, issued a heartfelt statement mourning Mr Thompson's loss:
"We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare," UnitedHealth Group said in a statement.
Mr Thompson's wife, Paulette, described the attack as "senseless" and mentioned her husband had received threats in the past, CNN reported.
The NYPD has released images of the suspect and is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture. The attacker is described as a white male in his 30s or 40s, wearing a gray backpack, black-and-white sneakers, and a hooded jacket.