A manhunt is underway in Manhattan after the CEO of one of America’s largest health insurance companies was shot dead in New York on December 4.

The moment the CEO of UnitedHealthcare was shot dead on the street CCTV in Manhattan (New York) recorded the scene of a masked man approaching and repeatedly shooting at the CEO Brian Thompson, one of the largest health insurance companies in the US.

A gunman ambushed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Midtown, the heart of the city’s business and tourist districts, and opened fire before fleeing toward Central Park, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).

The New York Times reported that surveillance video obtained by the newspaper showed the gunman walking behind CEO Brian Thompson as he approached one of the entrances of the New York Hilton Midtown at about 6:45 a.m. on December 4.

The attacker opened fire on Mr. Thompson. The CEO staggered and tried to turn toward the shooter.

The video also shows what investigators believe was a jammed pistol during the shooting, which the attacker quickly cleared and continued shooting. Mr. Thompson collapsed on the sidewalk and the gunman fled.

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the attacker waited for Mr. Thompson, ignoring other passersby, and then shot the CEO in the back and leg.

Three shell casings were found at the scene, on 54th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. Investigators said the shooter fled the scene on a Citi Bike and was later spotted in the popular park in midtown Manhattan.

A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said on condition of anonymity that the suspect entered a nearby Starbucks before the shooting.

Image of the suspect from a surveillance camera. Photo: New York Police Department.

Image of the suspect from a surveillance camera. Photo: New York Police Department.

Surveillance photos from the store released by police showed a white man wearing a dark hooded jacket with a dark mask covering his mouth and nose. Other images obtained by the New York Times from near the scene showed the attacker had arrived at the scene of the shooting at least 10 minutes earlier.

Thompson has recently received several threats, the law enforcement official said, and police are investigating the source and exact nature of those threats. But officials also noted that health care executives can often receive threats because of the nature of their work.

The shooting occurred on the morning of the company’s annual investor conference in New York City. Presentations were being given at the conference when news of the shooting began to spread.

Attendees started getting notifications on their phones and the room “quickly became very dark and quiet,” said Ryan Langston, an analyst in the audience at the event.

Here are the key developments:

• Company response: Brian Thompson was promoted to CEO of Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare in April 2021, heading a unit of UnitedHealth Group. In a statement, UnitedHealth Group said the company was “deeply saddened and shocked” by Thompson’s death. “Our deepest condolences go out to Brian’s family and all those who knew him,” the company said.
• Family devastated: Mr Thompson’s sister-in-law, Elena Reveiz, said she was still in disbelief at the news of his death. “He was a good man and I’m very sad,” Ms Reveiz said when reached by phone. She said Mr Thompson had two children and she was on her way to visit his family.
• Profits and problems: Mr. Thompson oversees a division that employs about 140,000 people and provides insurance plans to employers and individuals, including those enrolled in government programs. UnitedHealthcare and its parent company have enjoyed profitable growth but have also been dogged by federal investigations. Lawmakers and federal regulators have accused UnitedHealthcare of systematically denying approval for procedures and treatments. The parent company is also under scrutiny after a cyberattack exposed personal information, including health data, of more than 100 million Americans.
• Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree: Police said the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center, about four blocks from where the shooting occurred, will go ahead as planned on the evening of December 4 (local time). The event will have the usual security measures. New York Police Department Commissioner Jeffrey B. Maddrey said “there will be a heavy police presence.”
• Historic hotel: The shooting occurred outside one of the city’s grandest hotels, the New York Hilton Midtown. It has hosted the Emmy Awards, Donald Trump’s 2016 victory speech; Elvis Presley, the Beatles; and journalists who took refuge there during the bombshell Pentagon Papers.