New York police are searching for the man accused of shooting Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest US health insurance companies. On Thursday (December 5) they conducted a massive search across New York. The police described the incident as a planned and purposeful attack. British news agency Reuters reported this news.
“This is not a random act of violence,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Every evidence points to this being a premeditated and deliberate attack.'
The New York City Police Department said they have not yet identified any suspects. But trying to find out the motive of the murder.
Security camera footage showed a masked assailant standing behind Thompson, raising a gun and firing at him.
Police have released several images of the suspect, taken from CCTV footage of the area. One of the pictures is of his gun pointing. The other is about running away on a bike. Some photos show her eyes, eyebrows and nose in a cafe. Police are appealing to the public to help identify him.
The New York City Police is already using facial recognition technology to identify the killer. They examined a mobile phone found abandoned.
In addition, investigators said they found the words 'deny, defend and deposit' engraved on the bullet casings recovered from the scene.
The gunman shot Thompson in the back outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning and fled into Central Park. The shooting happened at 6:45 a.m. in a busy area of ​​Manhattan near Times Square and Central Park. The killing comes just before the company's annual investor conference. At the end of the day, Thompson was scheduled to attend the investor conference and give a speech.
The assailant waited outside the hotel for several minutes before shooting Thompson. He then entered Central Park on foot and on an electric bike.
UnitedHealth is the largest health insurance company in the United States, providing health care benefits to millions of Americans. Thompson has served as CEO of UnitedHealthcare since April 2021.
Thompson's wife, Paulette, told NBC News that she received some threats related to her work. However, no details were given.
