The CEO of the insurance company UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was shot and killed Wednesday morning in New York in what appeared to be a targeted attack, according to Mayor Eric Adams. Thompson, 50, was the senior vice president of UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, United Health Group, which was holding its annual investor conference in Midtown Manhattan.
Thompson was shot outside the Hilton Hotel at 54th and 6th Ave by a gunman who fired multiple shots and fled on a bicycle down 6th Avenue, according to the NYPD. Thompson was shot “at least once in the back and at least once in the calf,” according to a spokesperson for the New York Police Department in a press conference that was broadcast live on YouTube.
The gunman is still at large and witnesses have given police conflicting accounts of what he looks like. Some witnesses described a man wearing a cream-colored coat while others said the man was wearing all black, the Times reported. The New York Post obtained surveillance photos showing a person wearing a brown sweatshirt carrying a light-colored backpack, which may be where the confusion lies. The suspect was also wearing a black mask.
Surveillance footage shows suspect in fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson pic.twitter.com/gqYdacOuZG
— New York Post (@nypost) December 4, 2024
Thompson was reportedly shot around 6:45 am ET, pronounced dead at the hospital at 7:12 am The investor conference started at 8:00 am but did not adjourn until after 9:00 am The conference attendees seemed unconcerned. on the identity of the shooting victim, according to the New York Times, which quoted one person as saying “someone was shot outside,” apparently not knowing it was a company company. CEO.
Police found a phone that was allegedly dropped by the suspect near the scene, but the NYPD has not released any information about any evidence they may have recovered at this time. What is clear is that this was a deliberate act and the shooter was described by the police as “well versed in firearms” because the shooter quickly cleared the traffic that occurred when he fired several shots.
“We want to make it clear to the people of New York that this does not appear to be a random act of violence,” Adams said, according to the New York Times.
Social media was quickly flooded with reactions to the shooting, including everything from shock to some dark humor. Given UnitedHealth’s long history of denying claims, there have been more than a few jokes about the nearly 100 million suspects in this country.
UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest companies in the country and is headquartered in Minnesota, where politicians have expressed their condolences. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, shared a link to a Star Tribune article about the killing.
“This is a shocking and appalling act of violence,” Klobuchar wrote on X. “My thoughts are with Brian Thompson’s family and loved ones and all who work at United Healthcare in Minnesota.”
New York police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest. UnitedHealth stock rose more than 2.4% after news of the killing. It is currently sitting at 1.4% per day.
