UnitedHealthcare CEO gunned down in Midtown Manhattan: How the shooting unfolded
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was shot outside the New York Hilton Midtown at 6:45 a.m. by an unknown assailant
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel on Wednesday morning in what investigators say was a targeted attack.
Thompson, 50, was en route to the New York Hilton Midtown, where he was set to speak at an investor meeting, when he was shot and killed by a gunman who fled on foot and then took an e-bike into Central Park, according to the New York Police Department.
A manhunt for the suspect continued on Wednesday afternoon. While police say the shooting was targeted, they have not yet provided a motive.
Here’s a timeline of how the brazen attack unfolded, according to the NYPD based on preliminary information and surveillance video.
6:44 a.m. – NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said the suspect was spotted outside the hotel about five minutes before Thompson arrived. At 6:44 a.m., Thompson was seen walking alone towards the Hilton after leaving his hotel across the street.
“We believe the victim was headed to the Hilton hotel to attend the (UnitedHealthcare) investors’ conference that was scheduled to start at 8 a.m.,” Kenny said. Neither Thompson or the shooter were staying at the hotel.
“The shooter arrived at the location on foot about five minutes prior to the victim’s arrival. He stands along the building line as numerous other people and pedestrians pass him by,” Kenny said.
6:45 a.m. – Kenny said the gunman then “approaches the victim from behind and shoots him in the back. The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again.”
6:46 a.m. – “Patrol officers from Midtown North Precinct responded to a 911 call of a person shot in front of the Hilton hotel located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas,” Kenny said. “This is between West 53rd Street and West 54th Street.”
6:48 a.m. – Officers found Thompson “on the sidewalk in front of the Hilton with gunshot wounds to his back and leg. He was transported to Mount Sinai West where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m.
Around the same time Thompson was found outside the hotel, the suspected gunman had fled “northbound into an alleyway between 54th Street and 55th Street,” Kenny said.
“Once at West 55th Street, the shooter continues to walk westbound on Avenue of the Americas, where he gets onto an electric e-Citi bike and rides northbound on Avenue of the Americas toward Central Park, where at 6:48 a.m., we have the shooter riding this bike into Central Park at Center Drive.”
At the scene, officer recovered three live 9mm rounds and three discharged 9mm shell casings.
11:30 a.m. – A press conference was held by New York’s newly-appointed police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, and NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, who told New Yorkers that Thompson was “specifically targeted” in the “brazen attack” and that there is no threat to the city.
“We’re encouraging New Yorkers to go about their daily lives and their daily business, but to be alert,” Maddrey said.
He also encouraged anyone with information about the shooting to come forward. A manhunt is still underway for the gunman and no arrests have been made.
“We have the drones up. We have aviation out. We have canine out,” he said. “An incident like this happens — we don’t spare any expense.”
A “massive presence” was seen in Manhattan following the shooting, especially around Rockefeller Center, where the city’s annual tree lighting event will go on as planned tonight, Maddrey said.