A gunslinger who died UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is still at large and was last seen fleeing the scene on an electric bicycle in Central Park, according to the NYPD.
Thompson was killed outside New York Hilton Midtown on Wednesday morning in front of health care giant UnitedHealth’s planned investor day. He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead soon after.
Here is what is known about the shooter so far:
He was planning an attack
According to police, the suspect was waiting on 54th Street near the Hilton Hotel for about five minutes before Thompson’s arrival around 6:45. Several pedestrians walked past him before he fired multiple rounds at Thompson. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the shooting a “targeted, brazen attack” at a news conference Wednesday.
“I want to be clear at this point,” she said. “All indications are that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack.”
Physical description of the attacker
The attacker was described by police as a light-skinned man wearing a cream jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and a gray backpack.
He is also apparently fit enough to ride an E-bike, and knew the streets of New York well enough to walk from the scene to Central Park, where he disappeared.
After the attack, the gunman fled the scene, first into an alley between 54th and 55th streets before heading toward Sixth Avenue and then getting on an electric Citi Bike. He was riding north on the avenue toward Central Park, where he was last seen on Center Drive — which is blocked off to most cars — early this morning. Police will work with Citi Bike to access GPS data to track the attacker’s whereabouts.
Police also identified and recovered a cell phone at the scene.
‘Skillful in the use of firearms’
The suspect shot Thompson at least once in the back and once in the right calf. According to video recording outside the hotel, the shooter fired three shots at Thompson, who had his back turned to the shooter. Thompson then took a few steps and turned around before collapsing to the ground. Police found three live nine-millimeter bullets and three spent nine-millimeter shell casings at the scene.
According to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, the suspect is “skilled in the use of firearms,” ​​as he was able to quickly clear a jam in his gun after he started shooting and then continued to shoot Thompson.
A source familiar with the situation told CNBC the attacker’s firearm has a silencer. Kenney said police were unable to confirm the use of a silencer from surveillance footage, but that will be part of the investigation.
$10,000 prize
Police said people can go about their daily lives but should report suspicious activity to Crime Stoppers. They posted fliers with surveillance camera photos of the shooter with a firearm and on a Citi Bike, though neither showed his face. Officials have offered a $10,000 reward to people who can share information about the shooting.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for tonight around 8 p.m., and will proceed as usual. NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey said there will be a large police presence like every year, including the plainclothes division and the intelligence division.
“This is a terrible event, but we will continue and people will enjoy the lighting of the tree tonight,” he said.
