Manhunt continues for New York gunman who shot dead United Healthcare boss

by Mick the Ram

Police are continuing to search for the gunman responsible for the shocking, cold-blooded murder of healthcare executive Brian Thompson who was shot dead outside a New York hotel on 4 December.

The chief of United Healthcare – the largest insurer in the US – was making his way to the company’s annual conference in Manhattan when he was approached from behind and gunned down by his assailant whose motive is unknown and who remains at large despite a citywide manhunt.

Clues were left at the scene in the form of messages written on shell casings with the words “deny”, “defend”, and “depose” believed to be referring to tactics which critics say insurance companies use to avoid payouts and to increase profits.

It is thought the killer could have a grievance against the company but police say they have a “lot of leads” that they are working on, including more than 200 images of him from his arrival in the city until he fled Mid-town after the shootings.  

Two further images of the suspect were released at the weekend, one showing the man inside a car wearing a medical mask and a second from inside a taxi.

The FBI, Crime Stoppers and the NYPD are offering a combined reward of $60,000 (£47,000) for information that leads to the gunman’s arrest.

Biggest in the US

Brian Thompson joined United Health, the biggest private insurer in the US, from accountancy firm Price-Waterhouse-Coopers in 2004.

He rose through the ranks and became CEO in 2021, leading the company through some very profitable years.

Pre-planned murder

The 50-year-old father of two was shot outside the Hilton hotel in what police have confirmed was a pre-planned killing.

The gunman has been spotted on multiple cameras and is described as a white man wearing a black hoodie and black pants with a grey backpack.

Let his guard down

Although wearing a mask on many of the images, there is one which shows him smiling with his mask pulled down.

A hostel receptionist reportedly told police that the photo was taken when she asked him to show his face, in a flirtatious moment.

The man was staying at the hostel on the Upper West Side, where he reportedly used a fake New Jersey license as identification.

“Unprofessional” suspect leaves plenty of leads

Officials are also attempting to make use of DNA evidence, including a water bottle and candy wrapper from the crime scene, and a Starbucks coffee cup that is being linked to the suspect.

A mobile phone was also discovered in an alley along the suspect’s escape route.

E-bike was his getaway transport

It is thought that he must have secured a silencer on his weapon because a food cart vendor near the scene of the shooting revealed that he did not hear any gunshots.

The shooter fled the scene through an alleyway on an e-bike via Sixth Avenue to Central Park, which was the last location at which he was spotted.

Caught on camera days before

They believe the suspect arrived in New York possibly as many as 10 days before the shooting took place.

A surveillance camera at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in the city shows the suspect arriving by bus in New York on 24 November.

Investigators believe he took a Greyhound bus that originated in Atlanta, although they are unsure whether the person got on the bus at the Georgia state capital, or later during a stop.

Former FBI supervisor Rob D’Amico said he believes Thompson’s death has all the makings of a personal vendetta tied to his company.