A manhunt continues for the masked gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York City hotel as police uncover more evidence that is potentially linked to the suspect of interest.
Investigators uncovered a backpack in Central Park that is believed to have belonged to the suspected shooter late Friday. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Saturday “the net is tightening” around the suspect.
Meanwhile, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told CNN that investigators have a “huge amount of evidence” in their search for the suspect.
This includes DNA evidence, fingerprints and a “massive camera canvass” of the suspect’s movements, Tisch told the outlet.
Police have video of the man entering the Port Authority Bus Terminal after fleeing the scene of the shooting on a bicycle, but no video of him exiting, leading them to believe he left the city, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN.
The gunman was masked during the shooting and used a fake New Jersey ID to book a room at the HI New York City Hostel, but pulled down the covering during a flirty exchange with a clerk. Police say he arrived in New York after taking a Grayhound bus that originated in Atlanta, Georgia last month.
Key Points
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NYC mayor says ‘net is tightening’ on suspect
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FBI offers $50,000 reward for information on suspect
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Law enforcement locate backpack in Central Park
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Police have ‘reason to believe’ suspect in CEO killing left NYC
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Killer reveals face after ‘flirting’ with hostel worker who asked to ‘see his pretty smile’
Backpack recovered from Central Park contained ‘Monopoly money’
00:30 , Andrew Georgeson
A backpack resembling the one carried by the suspected gunman found discarded in Central Park contrained Monopoly money and a jacket, according to MSNBC. It did not contain a weapon.
New York CEO shooting map: Movements of gunman who killed Brian Thompson
Saturday 7 December 2024 23:45 , Katie Hawkinson
Investigators are trying to piece together Brian Thompson’s killer’s movements since Wednesday morning – and where he went next.
Read here:
New York CEO shooting mapped: Movements of Brian Thompson gunman
Where is the suspected shooter now?
Saturday 7 December 2024 23:00 , Katie Hawkinson
Police have yet to locate the man suspected of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as of Saturday evening.
However, investigators believe he may have left the city after they found footage of him entering the Port Authority Bus Terminal, but did not find footage of him leaving.
The gunman was masked during the shooting and used a fake New Jersey ID to book a room at the HI New York City Hostel, but pulled down the covering during a flirty exchange with a clerk. Police say he arrived in New York after taking a Grayhound bus that originated in Atlanta, Georgia last month.
Police are searching for the man suspected of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (NYPD)
ICYMI: Police say they have ‘huge amount of evidence’ on suspect
Saturday 7 December 2024 22:40 , Katie Hawkinson
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told CNN that investigators have a “huge amount of evidence” in their search for the man who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday.
This includes DNA evidence, fingerprints and a “massive camera canvass” of the suspect’s movements, Tisch told the outlet on Friday.
However, police say the suspect likely left the city after they recovered footage of him entering the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Wednesday but did not find footage of him leaving.
Why did Brian Thompson not have security with him?
Saturday 7 December 2024 22:20 , Katie Hawkinson
Brian Thompson was the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, the insurance wing of parent company UnitedHealth Group, Inc.
He had worked at the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company for two decades and led its insurance division since 2021. He was one of the company’s highest-paid executives, with a $10.2 million annual compensation package.
His wife said he had recently received threats from angry customers over complaints she believed may have had to do with “a lack of coverage”.
“I don’t know details,” Paulette Thompson told NBC News. “I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
Despite the alleged threats, Thompson did not have security with him on the morning of the shooting. Eric Werner, chief of police for Maple Grove, Minnesota, where Thomspon lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive.
Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s parent company UnitedHealth Group, addressed employee concerns about safety, according to a meeting recording shared by CNN.
“I know people are nervous around security and safety, and you will be seeing during the rest of the day, over the weekend and next week, a continued hardening of our security defenses on site across the country,” Witty said.
Full story: Leaked video shows UnitedHealth Group chief complaining about ‘vitriolic’ coverage of Brian Thompson shooting
Saturday 7 December 2024 22:00 , Justin Rohrlich
Three days after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally gunned down by a masked man lying in wait outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel, the head of the insurer’s parent company addressed anxious staff in a video sent to all US employees.
In it, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty told underlings that their work was “critical” in preventing the US medical system from providing “unnecessary” care he claimed would eventually drive up costs to an “unsustainable” level – as he complained about the “vitriolic” media coverage of the shooting.
Read more:
UnitedHealth Group chief complains about media coverage of Brian Thompson shooting
Have police named a suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson?
Saturday 7 December 2024 21:40 , Katie Hawkinson
New York City Mayor Eric Adams revealed Saturday that police do not want to reveal if they’ve identified the suspect’s name.
“We don’t want to release that now,” Adams said of the suspect’s name. “If we do, we are basically giving a tip to the person we are seeking and we do not want to give him an upper hand at all. Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask. We revealed his face. We’re going to reveal who he is and we’re going to bring him to justice.”
He also added that the “net is tightening” around the suspect as police continue to gather evidence.
An officer with the New York Police Department stands near the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan where Brian Thompson was fatally shot (AP)
Who is Brian Thompson? Everything we know about the UnitedHealthcare CEO and his murder in New York City
Saturday 7 December 2024 21:21 , Katie Hawkinson
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, a father of two, was shot at point-blank range near the New York Hilton Midtown on Wednesday morning just before a scheduled investor meeting.
Here’s everything we know about the health insurance leader — and the suspected gunman who killed him four days ago:
Who is Brian Thompson – the slain CEO of UnitedHealthcare?
ICYMI: Police uncover suspected backpack of gunman who killed UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson
Saturday 7 December 2024 21:00 , Ariana Baio
On Friday evening, police in New York City found a backpack in Central Park that they believe was worn by the gunman who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this week.
The masked gunman, whose identity is still unknown, could be seen wearing a backpack in security footage that captured the methodical shooting outside of a hotel in Midtown, Manhattan on Wednesday morning. Moments after the gunman shot Thompson he took off on a bike and headed into Central Park. Video footage later captured him leaving the park and taking a taxi to a bus terminal, without the backpack.
While searching a wooded area at the southern end of the park, police discovered a dark backpack nestled between two boulders, law enforcement officials told CNN. This was the second time police searched the park looking for it.
Read on:
Police uncover suspected backpack of man who killed UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson
What was the shooter’s motive?
Saturday 7 December 2024 20:40 , Katie Hawkinson
Police have not released an official motive for the shooting – but some have speculated the killing might be connected to Brian Thompson’s role in running one of the nation’s largest health insurance companies.
Investigators believe the suspect “could possibly be a disgruntled employee or a disgruntled client,” according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
Officials described the killing as a “targeted attack”, and it was later revealed that the gunman left behind a cryptic message at the scene. The words “deny,” “depose” and “defend” were carved into the ammunition the shooter used.
The words are similar to the book Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claim and What You Can Do About It by Rutgers Law School Jay Feinman. The book’s blurb describes it as an “expose of insurance injustice and a plan for consumers and lawmakers to fight back.”
Watch: Surveillance footage shows UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect exiting subway station
Saturday 7 December 2024 20:20 , Katie Hawkinson
ICYMI: Major break in search for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer came from a flirty moment with hostel receptionist
Saturday 7 December 2024 20:00 , Rhian Lubin
By lowering his mask and flashing a “flirtatious” smile to a hostel front desk clerk, the suspect in the fatal Brian Thompson shooting has given police their biggest break yet.
Clear surveillance images released by the New York Police Department on Thursday showed the “person of interest wanted for questioning” unmasked in Wednesday’s killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as the manhunt enters its third day.
The images reportedly capture the moment the suspect was “flirting” with a female worker of the hostel in the city’s Upper West Side where he was staying, law enforcement officials told ABC News.
Read on:
Major break in search for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer came from a flirty moment
Full story: NYPD probes theory UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer could be ‘disgruntled employee or client’
Saturday 7 December 2024 19:40 , Justin Rohrlich
Investigators believe the person who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel earlier this week “could possibly be a disgruntled employee or a disgruntled client,” according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
“This isn’t ‘Blue Bloods,’” Kenny said at a press conference on Friday, referring to a popular TV show starring Tom Selleck. “We’re not going to solve this in 60 minutes. We’re painstakingly going through every bit of evidence that we can come across.”
Keep reading:
NYPD: UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer could be ‘disgruntled employee or client’
‘I wanted to convey the rage’: Folk singer goes viral with song about Brian Thompson killing
Saturday 7 December 2024 19:20 , Katie Hawkinson
“I wanted to throw my two cents in and try and try and convey that rage,” artist Joe DeVito told The Independent’s Richard Hall.
Read the full story here:
Folk singer goes viral with song about Brian Thompson killing
Several insurance companies pulled down executive biography webpages after Brian Thompson killing
Saturday 7 December 2024 19:00 , Kelly Rissman
Days after the CEO of UnitedHealthcare was killed in Manhattan, major health insurance companies are removing information about their top executives from their websites.
Read more:
Several insurance giants yank leadership webpages after Brian Thompson gunned down
New York CEO shooting map: Movements of gunman who killed Brian Thompson
Saturday 7 December 2024 18:40 , Katie Hawkinson
See the mapped movements of the gunman suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson from The Independent’s James Liddell:
New York CEO shooting mapped: Movements of Brian Thompson gunman
UnitedHealthcare parent company’s CEO warns employees not to speak to media, promises heightened security
Saturday 7 December 2024 18:20 , Katie Hawkinson
Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s parent company UnitedHealth Group, warned employees to not speak to the media in the wake of Brian Thompson’s death, reporter Ken Klippenstein reports.
“I’d like to give you a little bit of advice around the media,” Witty said in an address to employees, according to a recording shared by Klippenstein.
“My strong advice and request to everybody is just don’t engage with the media,” Witty added. “If you’re approached, I would recommend not responding and, if necessary, simply refer them to our own media organization.”
He also addressed employee concerns about safety, according to another portion of the recording shared by CNN.
“I know people are nervous around security and safety, and you will be seeing during the rest of the day, over the weekend and next week, a continued hardening of our security defenses on site across the country,” Witty said.
The Daily Show divides viewers with jokes about murdered healthcare CEO
Saturday 7 December 2024 18:00 , Inga Parkel
The Daily Show’s Ronny Chieng became the first late-night host to joke about the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
During Thursday (December 5) night’s edition of the Comedy Central talk show, guest host Chieng, 39, addressed “the story that everyone is talking about.”
“A manhunt continues for a man accused of carrying out a targeted hit on a health insurance CEO, and investigators have been finding clues in surprising places,” he said, going on to show a compilation of different news segments discussing the words “deny, defend and depose” carved into the bullets used to kill Thompson.
Continue reading:
The Daily Show divides viewers with jokes about murdered healthcare CEO
Suspect could be ‘disgruntled’ employee or client, police say
Saturday 7 December 2024 17:40 , Katie Hawkinson
Police are coming closer to identifying the motive behind the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“It could possibly be a disgruntled employee or a disgruntled client,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
Investigators say the suspect has likely left New York City.
The New York Police Department said the man suspected of shooting Brian Thompson could be a ‘disgruntled’ employee or client (NYPD)
NYC Mayor says ‘net is tightening’ on suspect
Saturday 7 December 2024 17:28 , Katie Hawkinson
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said “the net is tightening” around the man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Adams said law enforcement officials do not want to release the suspect’s name at this time.
“If we do, we are basically giving a tip to the person we are seeking and we do not want to give him an upper hand at all,” Adams said. “Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask. We revealed his face. We’re going to reveal who he is and we’re going to bring him to justice.”
ICYMI: Three cryptic words were carved into bullets used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Saturday 7 December 2024 17:20 , Katie Hawkinson
Suspect may have used veterinary gun, police say
Saturday 7 December 2024 17:00 , Katie Hawkinson
Police say the man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson may have used a veterinary gun in the Wednesday shooting, according to NYPD Chief Detective Joseph Kenny.
Veterinary guns are larger guns used by farmers to put down animals without making a loud noise.
“It’s meant for close-up killing,” CNN’s Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller said. “It’s meant for vets to kill an animal by shooting it in the head or somewhere, you know, that’s going to be fatal. But it would work the exact same way on humans, very effectively and extraordinarily quietly.”
US border patrol on lookout for suspect
Saturday 7 December 2024 16:40 , Katie Hawkinson
Police have briefed US border patrol agents at both borders to keep an eye out for the man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, CNN reports.
Investigators believe the suspect left New York City via bus after they found security footage of him entering Port Authority Bus Terminal, but did not find footage of him leaving.
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information on the suspect.
FBI offers $50,000 reward for information on suspect
Saturday 7 December 2024 16:20 , Katie Hawkinson
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now assisting New York police with their search for the man who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday.
The agency is now offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the suspect’s arrest and conviction. The New York Police Department also offered $10,000 for information.
The FBI is offering $50,000 for information on the man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
Police say they have ‘huge amount of evidence’ on suspect
Saturday 7 December 2024 16:00 , Katie Hawkinson
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told CNN that investigators have a “huge amount of evidence” in their search for the man who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday.
This includes DNA evidence, fingerprints and a “massive camera canvass” of the suspect’s movements, Tisch told the outlet.
However, police say the suspect likely left the city after they recovered footage of him entering Port Authority Bus Terminal on Wednesday but did not find footage of him leaving.
Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information on the suspected killer of Brian Thompson (EPA)
ICYMI: Police uncover suspected backpack of gunman who killed UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson
Saturday 7 December 2024 15:40 , Ariana Baio
On Friday evening, police in New York City found a backpack in Central Park that they believe was worn by the gunman who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this week.
While searching a wooded area at the southern end of the park, police discovered a dark backpack nestled between two boulders, law enforcement officials told CNN. This was the second time police searched the park looking for it.
Read more:
Police uncover suspected backpack of man who killed UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson
Meet the folk singer behind a viral song about the killing of Brian Thompson
Saturday 7 December 2024 15:20 , Katie Hawkinson
Joe DeVito, creator behind a viral song about the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, told The Independent’s Richard Hall why he wrote the song — and what he hopes listeners take away from it.
Read here:
Meet the folk singer behind a viral song about the killing of Brian Thompson
When a medical insurance CEO was shot dead, people celebrated his death. What does this tell us about American healthcare?
Saturday 7 December 2024 15:00 , Katie Hawkinson
When UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in Manhattan on Wednesday, his death quickly turned into a larger conversation about the much-reviled industry in which he worked.
Read more from The Independent’s Richard Hall:
Reactions to the killing of insurance CEO reveal a deep anger over US healthcare
Watch: NYPD searched Central Park for backpack of gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO
Saturday 7 December 2024 14:40 , Katie Hawkinson
The New York Police Department found the suspect’s backpack in Central Park on Friday.
Watch below as they searched for the key piece of evidence:
Suspect last seen in Port Authority bus terminal
Saturday 7 December 2024 14:20 , Katie Hawkinson
The man police say fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was last seen on security footage entering New York City’s Port Authority Bus Terminal.
However, police said they don’t have footage of him exiting, leading them to believe he left New York City.
The shooter arrived last month on a Greyhound bus from Atlanta, Georgia and checked into an Upper West Side hostel on November 30 with a fake New Jersey ID, police said.
Police used a trail of clues to zero in on the man suspected of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (NYPD)
Timeline of the gunman’s movement
Saturday 7 December 2024 14:00 , Ariana Baio
November 24
10:11 p.m.: Gunman arrives in New York City on a bus
December 4
5:30 a.m.: Gunman leaves the hostel he’s staying at and heads toward Midtown
5:41 a.m.: Gunman arrives at the Hilton in Midtown and begins wandering the area
6:44 a.m.: Gunman fatally shoots Brian Thompson and then flees on foot before getting on a bicycle
6:48 a.m.: The gunman arrives to Central Park
6:56 a.m.: The gunman leaves Central Park on a bicycle
7:04 a.m.: Cameras show gunman on 86th Street getting into a cab
7:30 a.m.: Gunman enters the bus station on 128th Street.
Several insurance companies pulled down executive biography webpages after Brian Thompson killing
Saturday 7 December 2024 13:00 , Kelly Rissman
Days after the CEO of UnitedHealthcare was killed in Manhattan, major health insurance companies are removing information about their top executives from their websites.
In the aftermath of the deadly shooting, UnitedHealthcare took down its “leadership” page, WebArchive shows, and the page once containing biographies about its executives now bounces to the insurance company’s homepage with no information about those running the company.
Read more from Kelly Rissman:
Several insurance giants yank leadership webpages after Brian Thompson gunned down
Gunman arrived in New York on November 24
Saturday 7 December 2024 12:00 , Ariana Baio
Law enforcement officials said the suspected gunman who shot the UnitedHealthcare CEO arrived in New York City on November 24th by bus that is believed to have originated in Atlanta.
The gunman reportedly stopped by the Midtown Manhattan Hilton hotel at least 10 days before the shooting.
Homes owned by murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO and wife targeted by bomb threats
Saturday 7 December 2024 11:00 , Katie Hawkinson
Fake bomb threats were made against a home owned by UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and another owned by his wife after he was murdered Wednesday morning.
The two homes, which are less than a mile apart in Maple Grove, Minnesota, were targeted on Wednesday evening, The Minnesota Star Tribune reports. The threat was sent via e-mail to multiple people who then notified the police.
However, the threats were not credible and were considered an act of “swatting,” Maple Grove police said.
“No devices or suspicious items were located during the investigation,” a police spokesperson said in a statement. ”The case is considered an active investigation, while the incident appears to be a hoax.”
The Minneapolis Police Department bomb squad and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office also helped investigate the threats, the Star Tribune reports.
Watch: Surveillance footage shows UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter exiting subway station
Saturday 7 December 2024 09:00 , Ariana Baio
Who is Brian Thompson?
Saturday 7 December 2024 07:00 , Katie Hawkinson, Madeline Sheratt
Thompson, 50, a father of two, was shot at point-blank range near the New York Hilton Midtown on Wednesday morning just before a scheduled investor meeting.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the company said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”
Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News in the hours after her shooting her husband received threats prior to his killing. UnitedHealth Group was aware of concerning threats against its executives, CNN reported.
“There had been some threats,” she told the outlet. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of [health insurance] coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
Gun could be a firearm used in veterinary
Saturday 7 December 2024 05:00 , Ariana Baio
NYPD investigators have hypothesized the gun used in the shooting of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson could be a type of firearm used in veterinary.
“If an animal has to get put down, the animal can be shot without” the weapon causing a large noise,” Joseph Kenny said, per The New York Times.
The gunman used what appeared to be a silencer on the firearm when he shot Thompson on Wednesday morning.
Police uncover suspected backpack of gunman who killed UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson
Saturday 7 December 2024 03:00 , Ariana Baio
On Friday evening, police in New York City found a backpack in Central Park that they believe was worn by the gunman who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this week.
The masked gunman, whose identity is still unknown, could be seen wearing a backpack in security footage that captured the methodical shooting outside of a hotel in Midtown, Manhattan on Wednesday morning. Moments after the gunman shot Thompson he took off on a bike and headed into Central Park. Video footage later captured him leaving the park and taking a taxi to a bus terminal, without the backpack.
Read more here:
Police uncover suspected backpack of man who killed UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson
Image of backpack found in Central Park
Saturday 7 December 2024 02:30 , Ariana Baio
ABC News has obtained an exclusive photo of the backpack that officials discovered in Central Park on Friday afternoon, believed to belong to the gunman who killed Brain Thompson.
What does the UnitedHealth CEO shooting tell us about American healthcare?
Saturday 7 December 2024 02:00 , Richard Hall
When the CEO of one of the largest medical insurance companies in the United States was gunned down on the street in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, his death quickly turned into a larger conversation about the much-reviled industry in which he worked.
Brian Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, had been in New York City for a conference when he was killed in what police believe was a targeted shooting.
Reactions to the killing of insurance CEO reveal a deep anger over US healthcare
Map of the shooter’s movement
Saturday 7 December 2024 01:06 , Ariana Baio
Words written on bullets were “delay”, “deny”, “depose”
Saturday 7 December 2024 00:25 , Ariana Baio
Three words that were written on bullet casings found at the scene of the shooting mirror language used by critics of health insurance companies: “delay”, “deny”, “depose”.
Critics often use those words to call out insurers for delaying payments, denying claims and defending their actions. A 2010 book used similar words as those seen on the bullet in it’s title: Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It .
New York Police Department Chief of Detective, Joseph Kenny, told reporters each word was written on a bullet.
Contents of backpack are unknown
Friday 6 December 2024 23:40 , Ariana Baio
It is unclear at this time what items may, or may not, have been in the backpack that police found in Central Park.
Detectives told The New York Times they were not going to open the backpack until it was examined at a forensic lab for evidence.
A New York City Police officer walks through brush and foliage in Central Park near 64th Street and Central Park West, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in New York, while searching for a backpack police believe was dropped in the park by the person suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 (AP)
Police locate backpack and other items in Central Park
Friday 6 December 2024 23:23 , Ariana Baio
New York Police officers have uncovered what is believed to be the suspected shooter’s backpack in Central Park, a law enforcement agent told CNN on Friday evening.
The backpack was reportedly located between two boulders south of the Central Park carousel. That area is now being surveyed by crime scene technicians, according to The New York Times.
This is the second night in a row that police have searched the park looking for items that may have belonged to the person of interest. So far, police have not been able to identify the masked man.
Along with the backpack, police confiscated what appeared to be clothing and “a heavy object” according to The New York Times.
Police searching for shooter’s backpack in Central Park
Friday 6 December 2024 21:12 , Andrea Cavallier
A dozen officers were searching for the shooter’s backpack near the intersection of 65th Street and Center Drive in Central Park on Friday, the New York Times reported.
The backpack appeared to be left behind by the gunman on Wednesday after he shot and killed CEO Brian Thompson. Video shows the gunman exiting the park without the bag.
Police on Friday searched trash cans, grates, storm drains and leaf piles in the park. It’s not clear if anything has been found yet.
Atlanta police assisting NYPD in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting investigation
Friday 6 December 2024 20:45 , Andrea Cavallier
The Atlanta Police Department said Friday that they are assisting the New York City police department “as needed” as part of the investigation into the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
On November 24, more than a week before the shooting, the suspect traveled on a Greyhound bus from Atlanta to New York by bus, law enforcement sources told Fox News.
“As of this afternoon, on December 6, 2024, the Atlanta Police Department was contacted by the NYPD and will now be providing assistance as needed. The NYPD is the lead agency in this investigation so please direct all questions to their Public Affairs Office. The Atlanta Police Department will not be able to provide interviews or answer any questions regarding this investigation.”
The manhunt for the shooter continues.
Investigators say shooter ‘definitely planned this out’
Friday 6 December 2024 20:40 , Andrea Cavallier
The gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO “definitely planned this out,” authorities told CNN on Friday as the manhunt continues.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said they video of the suspect about 30 minutes before the shooting, “walking and wandering around the hotel area before he committed this act.”
“He knew what time the victim was going to be walking by. He knew what hotel this conference was going to be in,” Kenny said.
Investigators are still going through footage as the NYPD has access to “tens of thousands of cameras” around the city, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, something she said has been “huge” in the investigation.
Investigators say shooter ‘definitely planned this out’
Friday 6 December 2024 20:39 , Andrea Cavallier
The gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO “definitely planned this out,” authorities told CNN on Friday as the manhunt continues.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said they video of the suspect about 30 minutes before the shooting, “walking and wandering around the hotel area before he committed this act.”
“He knew what time the victim was going to be walking by. He knew what hotel this conference was going to be in,” Kenny said.
Investigators are still going through footage as the NYPD has access to “tens of thousands of cameras” around the city, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, something she said has been “huge” in the investigation.
CEO of UnitedHealth Group addresses employees’ safety concerns after shooting
Friday 6 December 2024 20:30 , Andrea Cavallier
Andrew Witty, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, released a video on Thursday addressing employees’ safety concerns after the shooting of CEO Brian Thompson.
“I want to reiterate just how immeasurably sad the tragic passing of Brian really is to his family, to his friends, to all of his work colleagues and, frankly, to the American health care industry within which Brian was an innovator and somebody who endlessly put patient interests first to try and improve health care for everybody,” Witty said in the video obtained by CNN.
He described the circumstances of Thompson’s death as “profoundly shocking and disturbing.”
Witty told the employees that the company has heightened security measures at its facilities nationwide, including security checks before people enter campuses.
New video emerges of CEO shooting suspect
Friday 6 December 2024 20:15 , Andrea Cavallier
The suspect in the CEO shooting was captured on video dumping something on a pile of trash minutes before the killing of Brian Thompson.
Police say there may be DNA on whatever he dumped that could help them learn his identity.
The man is seen walking on West 55th Street toward the Hilton at 6:19 a.m. on Wednesday, according to footage obtained by Newsweek.
He walks past the first pile of blue plastic bags near the Stage Star Deli at 105 West 55th Street and then pauses in front of a pile of white plastic bags. The video at the deli captures the man as he leans forward and places some small object on one of the bags and continues walking.
Thompson was gunned down outside the Hilton at 6:45 a.m.
Police have ‘reason to believe’ suspect in CEO killing left NYC
Friday 6 December 2024 20:13 , Andrea Cavallier
Police say they have a “reason to believe” that the person of interest in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has left New York City, according to police commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Tisch told CNN on Friday that police released the photos of the suspect not wearing a mask on Thursday because they want a “wider audience to see the picture outside of New York City.”
New video shows UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter leaving subway station
Friday 6 December 2024 19:56 , Andrea Cavallier
Do you know the suspect?
Friday 6 December 2024 19:45 , Andrea Cavallier
Police are urging anyone with information about the shooter to send in tips.
Some of the tips that are being investigated have come in via TikTok.
One posted a TikTok video and sent it to the tip line proclaiming, “I think that’s the guy,” according to the police.
(NYPD)
Another tipster, Phil Watson, sent photos of a man he called a “dead ringer” for the suspect to the police, with arrows to point out facial resemblances, according to the New York Times.
“I think they are overwhelmed,” Watson wrote in an email to The Times.
Carlos Nieves, the department’s assistant commissioner of public information, says they have received hundreds of tips – but they want more.
Tips can be called into the tip line at 800-577-TIPS — or online.
Hostel where suspect stayed is cooperating with police
Friday 6 December 2024 19:20 , Andrea Cavallier
Spokesperson Danielle Brumfitt said the hostel where the suspect stayed before the shooting is cooperating with the police and can’t comment on the investigation.
Police released photos Thursday, taken inside the HI New York City hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, of a person they said was wanted for questioning in the shooting.
Investigators believe the suspect used a fake New Jersey identification card when he checked in at the hostel, said one official who spoke with the AP.
Employees at the hostel said they remembered a man who almost always wore a mask when interacting with them.
That person wore a jacket that looked like the one worn by the man pictured in surveillance images released after the shooting, the official said.
(NYPD)
Meet the folk singer behind a viral song about Brian Thompson’s killing
Friday 6 December 2024 19:02 , Andrea Cavallier
Joe DeVito was on a long drive from a gig in Nashville to New York on Thursday with the news of a health insurance CEO being gunned down heavy on his mind.
He saw that people were using the death as an opportunity to express anger at the health insurance industry and share their own stories of being denied coverage for care. Along the way, in Virginia, he pulled over at a rest stop to record a song about it.
“I wanted to throw my two cents in and try and try and convey that rage, and why people are so mad,” he said.
Richard Hall reports:
Meet the folk singer behind a viral song about the killing of Brian Thompson
Hundreds of tips have come in since CEO’s murder
Friday 6 December 2024 18:08 , Andrea Cavallier
The NYPD is looking into the hundreds of tips that have come in since Thompson was gunned down.
Carlos Nieves, the NYPD’s assistant commission of public information, said to keep them coming.
“You may think that piece of information is trivial. I’m telling you, please give us that information,” he said. “Trivial or not, it might be the piece of information that puts it all together for us.”
Nieves revealed to the New York Post that one tipster claims to have gone to school with the suspect.
“The guys in (CrimeStoppers) were actually saying, ‘We hang up the phone and another call comes in,” Nieves added. “One was actually coming in as I was speaking to them. It was actually a TikTok video and it says ‘I think this is the guy.’ So we have to look into that.”
Police believe suspect arrived in NYC on a bus – but is that how he left?
Friday 6 December 2024 16:50 , Andrea Cavallier
The suspect reportedly arrived in New York City by bus on November 24, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Surveillance footage at Port Authority Bus Terminal captured his bus arriving at 9 p.m.
The inbound bus came from Atlanta, but it’s unclear where the suspect got on board. He was reportedly spotted on the bus in Washington, D.C.
But did the suspect leave on a bus? Police are investigating. He has still not been caught.
Video shows suspect leaving park without backpack
Friday 6 December 2024 16:32 , Andrea Cavallier
A law enforcement official told the New York Times that the man believed to be the shooter was captured on surveillance footage leaving Central Park without his backpack.
The suspect was spotted carrying the gray backpack when he opened fire on CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday morning. He was still wearing the bag when he fled on a bike and entered Central Park minutes after the shooting.
Police have been searching the park, but the backpack has not been found.
NYC mayor says ‘we are on the road to apprehending’ the CEO shooter
Friday 6 December 2024 16:02 , Andrea Cavallier
New York City Mayor Eric Adams spoke out about the latest in the search for the gunman who killed CEO Brian Thompson.
“We are on the right road to apprehending him,” Adams told PIX11 on Friday morning.
He also told NY1 this morning: “We’re on the right track. We’re going to bring this person to justice. This person was fully masked, and we used good old-fashioned police work to come up with the picture you have.”
DNA evidence from hostel being tested
Friday 6 December 2024 15:16 , Andrea Cavallier
DNA evidence recovered from the hostel where the suspect stayed the night before the shooting has been taken to the lab at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for testing, a person briefed on the matter told the New York Times.
Major break in search for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer came from a flirty moment with hostel receptionis
Friday 6 December 2024 14:29 , James Liddell
By lowering his mask and flashing a “flirtatious” smile to a hostel front desk clerk, the suspect in the fatal Brian Thompson shooting has given police their biggest break yet.
Clear surveillance images released by the New York Police Department on Thursday showed the “person of interest wanted for questioning” unmasked in Wednesday’s killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as the manhunt enters its third day.
Rhian Lubin has the story.
Major break in search for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer came from a flirty moment
When a medical insurance CEO was gunned down in the street, some people celebrated his death
Friday 6 December 2024 14:06 , James Liddell
When the CEO of one of the largest medical insurance companies in the United States was gunned down on the streets of Manhattan on Wednesday, his death quickly turned into a larger conversation about the much-reviled industry in which he worked.
Brian Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, had been in New York City for a conference when he was killed in what police believe was a targeted shooting.
Among hundreds of posts on social media about the shocking murder, many people were moved to talk about the injustice of the health insurance industry. Often the dark jokes on X, Instagram, Reddit and TikTok spoke to how cruel medical insurance companies can be to their customers. Some even wrote folk songs about the event.
Read Richard Hall’s full analysis below.
Reactions to the killing of insurance CEO reveal a deep anger over US healthcare
UnitedHealthcare removes leadership pages after CEO’s death
Friday 6 December 2024 13:44 , James Liddell
UnitedHealthcare is believed to have removed a page listing its executives on the company’s about us page after its chief Brian Thompson was gunned down in the street on Wednesday.
The health insurer has appeared to pull down a page listing senior staff, in what is assumed to protect the identity of its personnel, according to a report by 404 Media.
Other major insurers, including Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and CareSource are believed to have also removed pages from their website, according to reports.
Flags fly at half-mast outside of UnitedHealthcare HQ
Friday 6 December 2024 13:23 , James Liddell
Flags fly at half-mast outside of the office of UnitedHealthcare on Thursday evening for slain CEO Brian Thompson (REUTERS)
Everything we know about UnitedHealthcare CEO murdered in Manhattan
Friday 6 December 2024 13:02 , James Liddell
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in what police called a “brazen targeted attack” in Manhattan early on Wednesday.
A massive manhunt is underway for the unidentified shooter, who fled the scene on a bike. Police searched a hostel in the Upper West Side where they believe the suspect was staying, CNN reported Thursday morning.
Katie Hawkinson and Madeline Sherratt detail everything we know so far about the fatal attack on the 50-year-old insurance CEO:
Who is Brian Thompson – the slain CEO of UnitedHealthcare?
Hostel worker asked suspect to pull down mask to ‘see his pretty smile’
Friday 6 December 2024 12:41 , James Liddell
Brian Thompson’s killer was asked by a female hostel worker to pull his mask down to “see his pretty smile,” a high-ranking NYPD officer told CBS News.
The New York Times has identified the lodgings as the HI New York City Hostel on Amsterdam Avenue near 104th Street in Manhattan, sources told the outlet. The suspect is said to have used a fake New Jersey identification book the room upon arriving on November 24, a senior law enforcement official told the newspaper.
It was at that hostel where the assailant was recorded on surveillance cameras revealing his face, after having a conversation and apparently flirting with the woman on the front desk.
Manhunt for New York CEO shooting suspect enters third day
Friday 6 December 2024 12:20 , James Liddell
Hostel where suspect stayed ‘identified’: report
Friday 6 December 2024 11:50 , James Liddell
The hostel where the suspect who shot dead Brian Thompson stayed has allegedly been identified, according to a report.
The New York Times has identified the lodgings as the HI New York City Hostel on Amsterdam Avenue near 104th Street in Manhattan, sources told the outlet.
He is said to have used a fake New Jersey identification book the room upon arriving on November 24, a senior law enforcement official told the newspaper.
The suspect was then was said to have checked out of the hostel on November 29, before once again checking back in on November 30, where it is assumed he stayed until Thompson’s shooting.
The Independent has contacted the hostel for more details.
New York CEO shooting map: Movements of gunman who killed Brian Thompson
Friday 6 December 2024 11:24 , James Liddell
The manhunt for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a shooting in the heart of Manhattan has now entered its third day, with the killer still at large.
With the gunman’s identity unknown and the motive still a mystery, authorities are trying to piece together the killer’s movements that morning – and where he went next.
James Liddell tracks the gunman’s latest movements.
New York CEO shooting mapped: Movements of Brian Thompson gunman
Timeline of Brian Thompson’s shooting and killer’s getaway
Friday 6 December 2024 10:50 , James Liddell
The gunman who shot dead the CEO of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson at point blank range on Wednesday was filmed across Manhattan before and after the attack.
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5:00 a.m: Suspect recorded walking outside the Frederick Douglass Houses, a public housing project on the Upper West Side
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6:15 a.m: Gunman leaves the 57th Street F train stop before heading to Starbucks at West 56th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan. He buys water and two energy bars
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6:19 a.m: Suspect recorded walking west down 55th Street, a block away from the New York Hilton Midtown
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6:29 a.m: Assailant walks through parking lot at 54th Street
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6:44 a.m: Thompson is seen in video walking toward the Hilton
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6:46 a.m: Gunman shoots Brian Thompson outside the New York Hilton Midtown on 6th Avenue
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6:48 a.m: Suspect headed north on 6th Avenue towards Central Park on e-bike
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7 a.m: Assailant cycling out of the park on West 85th Street. He is not seen again and his identity is unknown
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7:12 a.m: Thompson was then rushed to Mount Sinai West hospital where he was pronounced dead
ICYMI: NYPD releases unmasked photo of smiling suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing
Friday 6 December 2024 10:26 , James Liddell
Photographs showing the face of the suspect who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan have been released as New York City cops continue to search for the identity of the alleged killer.
On Thursday, the NYPD shared two photographs of the killer, including one with the suspect flashing a smile.
“Below are photos of a person of interest wanted for questioning regarding the Midtown Manhattan homicide on Dec. 4.” the NYPD said in a statement.
James Liddell has the full story below.
NYPD releases unmasked photo of smiling suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing
Gunman checked in and out of NYC hostel ‘multiple times’
Friday 6 December 2024 09:54 , James Liddell
The assailant who shot the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, to death on Wednesday checked in and out of a Manhattan hostel mutilple times, police say.
After allegedly arriving in New York City by bus on November 24, the gunman checked into a hostel, a law enforcement source told CNN. He then was said to have checked out of the hostel on November 29.
He proceeded to check back into a hostel on November 30, according to the source. It is unclear if it was the same lodgings.
Suspect traveled to New York on a Greyhound bus, sources say
Friday 6 December 2024 09:30 , James Liddell
The gunman who shot dead Brian Thompson at point blank range on Wednesday is said to have traveled to New York City by a Greyhound bus from Atlanta, a near 870 mile journey, sources say.
Surveillance footage shows the suspect getting off the bus in New York around 9 p.m. ET on November 24 – approximately 10 days before the killing, according to CNN. It is not clear at which stop the suspect got on the bus.
That day, he was seen walking through the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, a law enforcement source told the outlet.
Greyhound is “fully cooperating with authorities on this active investigation,” a spokesperson said.
Mapped: Retracing gunman’s steps as he flees to Central Park after shooting
Friday 6 December 2024 09:08 , James Liddell
New footage shows gunman leaving subway before Thompson shooting
Friday 6 December 2024 08:46 , James Liddell
The suspected killer of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was captured in newly-released footage walking out of a midtown subway station, 30 minutes before the attack.
The footage, examined the Washington Post, allegedly shows the suspect leaving the 57th Street F train stop and walking along 6th Avenue at 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday. Thompson was shot dead at approximately 6:46 a.m. outside the New York Hilton Midtown.
Watch the footage below:
Suspect pulled mask down in ‘flirtatious moment’ – and it may lead to his undoing
Friday 6 December 2024 08:26 , James Liddell
An apparent “flirtatious moment” between the Brian Thompson shooting suspect and a female hostel employee led to the assailant revealing his face in security footage, according to a senior former NYPD officer.
On Thursday morning, police released photographs showing the face of the suspect who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO a day prior at a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan.
One of the photos, taken hostel on Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan, showed the suspect flashing a smile to a female worker.
The former Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller called the exchange a “flirtatious moment” – and it may lead to the gunman’s undoing, as police hone in on his identity.
“They were having a flirtatious moment and he pulls it down and he gives a big smile and that one informal moment between two human beings remains at this moment the most significant clue to date in this whole case,” Miller told CBS.
The shooting suspect was captured in two stills from security footage at the Manhattan hostel where he was staying (NYPD/X)
What is the UnitedHealthcare business that was led by slain CEO Brian Thompson?
Friday 6 December 2024 06:07 , Namita Singh
UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurer in the United States, provides medical benefits to over 50 million Americans. Its plans cover routine healthcare needs and offer financial protection for those who fall ill or are injured.
In 2023, the company generated $281.4bn in revenue—nearly double that of its closest competitor—underscoring its leading position in an industry where Americans “routinely pay more for healthcare than people in any other country.”
New York Police investigators arrive at the HI New York City Hostel, Thursday, 5 December 2024 (AP)
UnitedHealthcare is a key division of UnitedHealth Group, a $560bn global healthcare conglomerate. It operates alongside Optum, which manages pharmacy benefits, healthcare data analytics, and clinical practices.
Under Brian Thompson’s leadership, beginning in 2021, UnitedHealthcare expanded its domestic coverage significantly, increasing from 44 million to 49.3 million insured individuals. The unit’s profitability also soared, with earnings reaching $16.4bn in 2023—a 30 per cent increase from 2020. Its influence extends to over 150 countries worldwide.