New images have been released of the man suspected of assassinating Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare boss, as authorities said the “net was tightening” in their search for the killer.
Mr Thompson, 50, was shot dead in Manhattan on Wednesday as he made his way to a conference, sparking a manhunt that is believed to now be multi-state.
One of the new images of the suspect shows him in the back of a taxi wearing a hooded sweatshirt and mask. In the second, he is seen outside the car.
The suspect approaching the taxi
On Saturday, Eric Adams, the New York mayor, said the “net is tightening” around the gunman, who fled the scene on foot before riding an electric bike into Central Park. He was later caught on camera entering a bus station in northern Manhattan.
Mr Adams would not confirm whether detectives knew the name of the suspect. “We don’t want to release that now,” the New York Post quoted him as saying. “If you do, you 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.”
The mayor praised the manner in which investigators “were able to follow his footsteps to recover evidence – some of it is known, some of it is unknown – but the net is tightening and we’re going to bring this person to justice”.
A previous image of the suspect showed him smiling at a youth hostel where he apparently stayed before the killing, with media reporting he had lowered his mask to flirt with a receptionist.
The FBI, which said it was assisting New York police, has offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the suspect’s capture.
Police have located a grey backpack in Central Park thought to belong to the killer and were seen searching a nearby lake. The bag contained a jacket and Monopoly money, but no firearm, MSNBC said on Saturday.
The motive for the killing is still being investigated. Authorities have confirmed the words “deny”, “defend” and “depose” were written on the bullet casings found close to the victim’s body, language which could be associated with critics of the US’s private health insurance industry.